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This set of materials is designed to provide readers an introduction to the main principles and characteristics of copyright law. It is not a treatise; readers looking for a comprehensive and detailed examination of the copyright system should instead consult the sources listed at the bottom of this page.
The materials are designed to accompany CopyrightX, a free online course taught by William Fisher under the auspices of HarvardX. However, students and teachers in other settings might find the materials useful. To assist such users, the materials are licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution license. The public at large is encouraged to use, distribute, translate, modify, and build upon these materials, provided that William Fisher and HarvardX are given appropriate credit.
Substantial portions or the materials were originally drafted as part of the Copyright for Librarians project, is a joint venture of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society and Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL), a consortium of libraries from 50 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. The goal of that project is to provide librarians in developing and transitional countries information concerning copyright law. Librarians who happen upon this page may find that their needs could be met better by consulting the Copyright for Librarians curriculum.
Disclaimer
This course does not offer legal advice. It provides general information concerning the principles that underlie the copyright system and indicates how various concrete problems are resolved in most countries. It cannot, however, provide reliable guidance concerning how a court in a specific country would respond to a specific set of facts. Thus, if you find yourself coming close to any of the legal boundaries described in these materials, you should consult a lawyer in your own jurisdiction.
Help Us Improve the Course
We hope to update and refine these materials periodically. To do so, we need help from users. Please let us know if a piece of information contained in a module is incorrect or out of date. If you have suggestions concerning either the content of the modules or the way in which the content is presented, we are eager to hear them. You can make these suggestions in either of two ways. First, if you would like your suggestion to be available to the public, please click on the "Discussion" tab at the top of the page to which your suggestion is relevant. Second, you can simply email us at ____.
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