FAQ

Even if a piece of writing has a copyright, you can still use it in certain instances such as commentary, criticism, parody, news reporting, and educational purposes. In general, you cannot plagiarize a copyrighted work or pretend that the copyright holder's words are your own. However, you can use a certain amount of work if you credit the author. Additionally, in some instances, you can get permission to use the work from the copyright holder or you can use alternative works distributed under Creative Commons licenses.

Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that created a set of simple, easy-to-understand copyright licenses. These licenses allow creators to mark a work with permission to make a variety of uses, with the aim of expanding the range of things available for others to quote, adapt, and build upon. Creative Commons licenses do two things: they allow creators to share their work easily, and they allow everyone to find work that is free to use without permission. As long as you obey the terms of the license attached to the work, you can use Creative Commons licensed material without fear of accidentally infringing someone's copyright.

For additional information, please, visit NU LibGuide "I did not Plagiarize! Think Again: Copyright and Fair Use".

Also, you may find it quite useful "Can I use a work without the author's permission?"