fair use

HELPFUL INFORMATOIN FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS SUBMITTING AN ETD

Submitting your ETD (electronic thesis or dissertation) is a great moment!

The culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work, the approval of a student's graduate  committee, and the satisfaction of having completed a significant scholarly work are the rewards that every graduate student hopes to realize. The last thing any student would want to hear at this point is that the ETD is not accepted because of copyright concerns over photographs or images in your thesis.

These links will provide suggestions for avoiding last-minute problems getting an ETD accepted by the Graduate School. These suggestions are not meant to take the place of advice and direction given by the student’s graduate committee. Rather, they are suggestions to help students navigate a very complex issue—the fair use of copyrighted materials.

What is a Copyright?


Misconceptions about Copyrights and Fair Use


The Four Fair Use Factors


How Do I Avoid Problems Getting My ETD Approved?


Copyright Protection Dates


Is Your Proposed Use "Fair Use?"


Special Problems of Licenses and New Media


Practical Guidance from UMI


Checklist for Fair Use


Dates and Deadlines, Special Exception to Policy Granted for Students in Architecture


Examples of Attributed Photos and Images



This information was collected by:

Patrick A. Miller, Ph.D., FASLA, FCELA

Professor of Landscape Architecture, School of Architecture + Design
Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Outreach, College of Architecture and Urban Studies

202 Cowgill Hall (0205)

Blacksburg, VA 24061

Office: (540) 231-0166

Fax: (540) 231-6332

E-mail: pmiller@vt.edu

12/18/2007