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WRC Guide to Copyright

Woodson Research Center Special Collections & Archives Guide to Copyright


Determining Copyright Status

Woodson staff can assist you in determining copyright status, although primary responsibility for pursuing this information rests with the researcher.
Contact Woodson staff regarding the status of the specific material in question.

  • In some cases, copyright is held by the WRC.
  • In many cases, copyright is held by the original creator of the material.
  • In other cases, materials are in the public domain and are not under any copyright. See Lolly Gasaway's summary of "When Works Pass Into Public Domain".
If the work in question is under copyright protection, patrons seeking permission to publish must:
  • obtain written permission from the copyright holder, or
  • demonstrate an adequate attempt to track copyright holders, or
  • show that the publication of the intended copyrighted material would fall under the Fair Use clause of Copyright Law and therefore does not require copyright holder's permission.

WRC staff will provide what specific copyright information is available, and may refer the researcher to copyright research sites such as the WATCH site maintained by the University of Texas at Austin, or to the Library of Congress' copyright information.

The Copyright Law of the United States [Title 17, United States Code] governs the reproduction and publication of copyrighted materials.

For information on the Fair Use clause under federal Copyright law, visit any of the following sites: The WRC reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying or publication request if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the request would violate copyright law.

If you plan to publish materials obtained from the WRC,
please see information on Publishing WRC sources & complete the Permission to Publish form.
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