Intellectual Property:

• Typically, books, articles and such compiled for course packets are intellectual property.

• Authors have earned and deserve credit and compensation for the use of this property.

• The law applies whether the materials are viewed in the original published form or as a reproduction.

U.S. Copyright Act of 1976:

• The act of reproducing copyrighted material itself is not illegal.

• Numerous law suits have been filed and won based upon the legal/illegal distinction.

• The act of reproducing copyrighted material without permission is illegal.

• Criminal and civil penalties can be imposed for such violations.

U.S. Copyright Remedy Clarification Act of 1990:

• States:  "...that any State, any instrumentality of a State acting in his or her official capacity, shall not be immune... from suit in Federal court by any person."

• This includes any governmental or non-governmental entity, for a violation of any of the exclusive rights of a copyright owner.