Fair Use Provisions of Copyright Law
Audio Electronic Reserves is a course-related audio service of the University Libraries and Digital Library Technologies. This service employs audio streaming technology to provide Penn State students and instructors access to music and other audio being studied in courses at Penn State University. The techniques employed in providing this service are intended to comply with the Fair Use provisions of Copyright Law. The Penn State University Libraries observe the guidelines for this type of service established by the Association of Research Libraries and by the Music Library Association.
Some key characteristics of this compliance are:
- Use for non-profit, educational purposes.
- Restriction of access to authorized Penn State users.
- Limitation of the service to requests made by faculty to support classroom activities.
- Access via course-specific links only, and only for the duration of the semester the course is taught.
- Streaming only, with measures taken to prevent downloading.
- Low fidelity (streamed at 32 Kbps, FM-radio quality).
- Purchase of requested audio recordings for the library when they have not already been purchased by the University Libraries.
- Exclusion of content marketed to students for student consumption (e.g., audio that accompanies textbooks).