Most of the electronic resources such as ejournals, databases and ebooks available at LANL are owned (copyrighted) by someone and governed by license agreements. These legal agreements determine how an electronic resource can or cannot be used. This page is meant to provide you with basic information on appropriate use of electronic materials and link you to resources for more specific information if you need it.
Authorized Users
Use of the above mentioned electronic resources is limited to:
- Current LANL employees whether permanent, temporary or visiting, including affiliates, consultants and students
- Contractors and subcontractors officially affiliated with LANL at the Los Alamos site
- Members of the public using a LANL computer within the Research Library
Appropriate use
It is the responsibility of individual Authorized Users to ensure that these resources are used solely for scholarly, research, educational and personal non-commercial purposes in accordance with the requirements stated below.
The following applies to electronic resources that are copyrighted and/or governed by LANL license agreements. Other restrictions may apply as well.
| You may: |
You may not: |
Print or download individual articles, chapters or other items on a limited basis. |
Systematically download, save, print or distribute large amounts of information (e.g. download all articles from a journal issue; engage in large-scale downloading from licensed resources to create databases). |
Send an article or item to another Authorized User. |
Send an article or item to a person who is not an Authorized User (unless this is specifically allowed by a publisher's license). |
Link to articles or other items from a publisher's website (recommended method for providing electronic content). |
Post an article or other items in any open environment, including the Internet and Web (includes mailing lists, electronic bulletin boards, blogs, etc.). See Self-archiving below. |
What are your "Fair Use" options?
Fair Use provisions of US copyright law allow reproduction and distribution of copyrighted materials on a limited basis for specific purposes without the permission of the copyright holder. In order for Fair Use to apply, the reproduction and distribution must be for the noncommercial purposes of scholarship, research or education (among others).
Fair Use is a limited right. It generally means you cannot reproduce or distribute large portions of a book or multiple articles from the same issue of a journal. A reasonable interpretation of the law is one (1) article per issue of a journal, and one-tenth or one chapter of book, whichever is greater. Use beyond this allowance requires payment of copyright royalty fees to the publisher.
Self-archiving and Open Access
Many publishers allow authors to self-archive a pre- or post-print copy of their papers on the author's webpage or institutional website. There can be restrictions on this type of self-archiving. The SHERPA/RoMEO database of publisher copyright and self-archiving policies is a good resource for information on specific publisher policies.
Some publishers have Open Access (OA) policies that allow authors to pay a fee to make their papers freely and immediately available to everyone. The SHERPA/RoMEO website can help you find out if a specific journal or publisher supports Open Access. There is also a short list of direct links to publishers with OA programs at the Library's Open Access webpage.
Contact copyright-lib@lanl.gov for information on specific publisher policies.
Potential consequences of a violation of the Laboratory's contractual agreements with publishers regarding copyright:
- Loss of access for entire Laboratory without warning
- Employee record may be negatively affected
- Personal lawsuits
Additional resources about copyright and copyright law
Crash Course in Copyright (University of Texas)
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Copyright Act of 1976, amended
Questions and further information
LANL employees - if you have questions, send an email to copyright-lib@lanl.gov
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure that the information on this web page is valid, we cannot guarantee its accuracy, currency or reliability. This page is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.
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