The WMU Libraries are committed to promoting access to information while honoring author rights and the legal use of protected information.

Copying and Sharing
"Fair use" balances authors' rights with educational needs. It does NOT grant unrestricted use of information at the University. An intended use must satisfy the four fair use factors and typically can only be applied one time for a particular copyrighted work. If fair use does not apply, then permission must be requested.

Posting Information Online
Online information provided by WMU Libraries is usually restricted to current WMU students, faculty, and staff. You should NOT post a full-text copy on the open Web.  Instead, provide a persistent URL link to it.  See also Retain your author/creator copyrights section below.

Retain Your Author/Creator Copyrights
It is not necessary or desirable to sign away the exclusive rights to your work in exchange for publication. It limits your ability to post your own work online, use it in course packs, or include it in Web-based repositories such as ScholarWorks at WMU.  Modifications to publisher agreements and alternative licensing options can be found at the SPARC and Creative Commons sites. SHERPA/RoMEO provides publisher policies on posting previously published articles on the Web and in open-access repositories.

Downloading
You may download targeted items for learning and research from WMU Libraries information resources, but you may not systematically download or print substantial portions of databases or online books, create derivative products, obscure or modify copyright notices, or share content with non-WMU users without permission from the copyright holder.