Copyright & Dissertations

You own the copyright to your dissertation without taking any formal action although you will probably want to secure your copyright through formal registration. The "Dissertation Agreement Form" which you submit to ProQuest contains an optional application to have ProQuest register your copyright; the fee is currently $65. The forms are available from the Graduate School or can be ordered from ProQuest. You can also register your copyright directly with the U.S. Copyright Office for a fee of $45.

You must obtain permission to use copyrighted material produced by others in your dissertation or thesis. Copies of permission letters must be submitted to the Graduate School with your other paperwork.

Copyright Resources:

• Copyright Law and Graduate Research
  "New Media, New Rights, and Your New Dissertation", by Kenneth D. Crews (Professor, Indiana University School of Law and School of Library and Information Science, Associate Dean of the Faculties for Copyright Management)
  
  
• Fair Use Guidelines for Dissertations (University of Texas at Austin)
  
  
• Brown Graduate School Dissertation Guidelines - Copyright
  
  
• Brown University: Copyright & Fair Use
  
  
• Copyright Clearance Center
  
  
• U.S. Copyright Law