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© Copright Information
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials.
Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish
a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or
reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or
research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes
in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement.
This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment,
fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.
This notice is posted in compliance with Title 37 C. F. R. Chapter II. Part 201.14
Copyright Law and Library Photocopying
The full text of the copyright law can be found in the United States Code in the section
entitled Title 17 - Copyrights. Copyright owners are assigned exclusive rights to their works,
including the right to reproduce those works. The law defines several limits on exclusive rights
that allow others to make copies of copyrighted works. Those engaged in teaching and research
are granted certain reproduction rights in §
107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use.
Libraries are authorized to photocopy materials from their own collections for their clientele
under the provisions of §
108. Limitations on exclusive rights: Reproduction by libraries and archives. Under the provisions of section 108(d),
libraries may photocopy a single article from a periodical or a chapter of a book and give the copy to a PWPLS patron.
When obtaining photocopies of copyrighted works from other libraries through interlibrary loan,
libraries must comply with the conditions defined in subsection g(2) of § 108. Limitations on
exclusive rights: Reproduction by libraries and archives. The basic requirement is that
libraries must not receive copies in "such aggregate quantities as to substitute for a subscription
to or purchase of such work." Just how much copying would violate this provision is not defined
in the law.
Journal Photocopies through Interlibrary Loan
The copyright law does not provide a quantitative definition of how many photocopies from a
journal can be received by a library for interlibrary loan purposes. The National Commission on
New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works in 1978 issued guidelines to help libraries comply
with the copyright law. Prince William Public Library System ILL Office complies with the
CONTU
Guidelines on Photocopying Under Interlibrary Loan Arrangements when obtaining your requested
photocopy from another library.
For a given periodical title, within a given calendar year, we are allowed under the guidelines
to obtain an institutional total of five (5) photocopies of articles published within the five
years preceding the date of your request. For the sixth article and above we have several
alternatives for filling your request. We can either
1. pay a royalty to the owner of the copyright for each photocopy obtained (the quickest method
when it is possible)
2. find some means of purchasing an original copy of the work (usually impossible or involving
long delays)
3. attempt to borrow the entire work (usually impossible)
4. decline to fill your request for a copy of the article (sometimes necessary).
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