Understanding Your Rights
Authors have rights over their creative or intellectual property created in a fixed medium. These works are covered under copyright law and no other action is necessary for the works to be protected. Authors have the ability to transfer or retain full or partial rights that influence the dissemination and utilization of their publications in teaching and research.
Watch the video to learn how researchers can maximize exposure and dissemination for their peer-reviewed article manuscripts.
Copyright Laws
Author Rights
Copyright holders are given the following exclusive rights under the law. This means that others cannot use these rights without seeking permission (Copyright Law, Title 17, U.S. Code):
- to produce copies or reproductions of the work and to sell those copies (including, typically, electronic copies)
- to import or export the work
- to create derivative works (works that adapt the original work)
- to perform or display the work publicly
- to sell or assign these rights to others
- to transmit or display by radio or video
Author Considerations
Authors often give up their rights to publishers who then become the copyright holder of their work. Unless the author retains certain rights, they cannot distribute or even post a PDF or copy of their work without seeking permission from the publisher.