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Web Guidelines: Copyright (2 of 7)
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• Web Guidelines
• Copyright
• Design Elements
• Content Suggestions
• Locating Server Space
• Developing a Web Site
• Helpful Links

Copyright law protects an author's work by assigning rights to his/her original work and the way it is copied, adapted, distributed, or displayed. This protection ensures that authors who create original work do so without fear of loss.

Copyright laws apply to every form of expression. Under the Berne copyright convention, work is copyrighted the moment it is created in a tangible way-- factual information or ideas cannot be copyrighted. But under this convention, original work is protected as copyrighted even though it may not necessarily be registered. Unauthorized use and distribution of copyrighted works is illegal. To avoid infringing on copyright laws, avoid using copyrighted work (something that is not your original work) without the written permission of the author.

The Penn State logos are copyrighted as well. The Penn State mark, the Intercollegiate Athletics logo, the Nittany Lion Statue, the old University seal, and the words "The Pennsylvania State University," "Penn State," "PSU," "Nittany Lion(s)," and "The Nittany Lion Inn," are trademarked and owned by the Penn State. For information on the correct use of any University symbols, contact the Department of University Publications at 814-863-1870.

The Alumni Association logo is the official registered trademark of the Penn State Alumni Association and can only be used by groups chartered by the Association. Please use this logo on your Web pages instead of using any other Penn State marks. To request a logo for your group, please contact alumni-relations@psu.edu.