Copyright
Your electronic thesis, dissertation, or report (ETDR) is an original work and is protected by copyright laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code). These laws give the copyright owner exclusive rights to (or authorize others to) reproduce, distribute, produce derivative works, display, or perform the work.
Copyright Page
The copyright page of your ETDR is not required unless you plan to register for copyright, either through the U.S. Copyright Office or as part of the submission process to UMI/ProQuest (doctoral students only). You can, however, include the copyright page even if you do not register for copyright.
If you include a copyright page in your ETDR, the following information should appear on the page:
Copyright
For example,
Copyright
Technically, the copyright statement is not required for a work to be legally copyrighted. However, it is generally good practice to include the statement as a reminder that your work is copyright.
See the ETDR template for more information on your copyright page.
Copyright Registration
You are not required to register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office in order to be protected by U.S. copyright law. However, registration is required before you can file an infringement lawsuit. Depending on the topic of your ETDR, you may want to consider registering your work. Registration gives you additional legal rights, particularly the ability to receive "statutory damages" and attorney fees in an infringement action. In general, you must register before the infringement occurs to have these benefits. You may want to discuss copyright registration with your major professor before deciding whether to register.
You have two options for registering copyright. One is to register directly with the U.S. Copyright Office. Cost is $45, and you must provide a paper copy of your ETDR. Details for registering are available on the "Literary Works" page of the U.S Copyright Office site.
The other option (for dissertations only) is to request registration through UMI/ProQuest. You can do this as part of the online submission process required for all K-State dissertations. During the submission process, you will be asked if you want to register for copyright. If you respond "Yes," UMI will register on your behalf. Cost is $65, which will be added to your graduation fees. You do not need to provide a paper copy.
Additional Information
- United States Copyright Office
- http://www.copyright.gov/
- Copyright Law and Graduate Research
- http://www.umi.com/umi/dissertations/copyright/