Web Pages and Multimedia

Questions for you:

Is your web page:
• Available for anyone to access?


• Limited to UW addresses?


• Password protected?

What can you use on unrestricted course web pages without permission?

• Works you create
• Your own publications if your agreement with your publisher allows this


• Public domain materials


• Materials for which you have obtained permission

What can you use on restricted access web pages without permission?
If access to materials is limited to enrolled students in a course on a secure site and students cannot copy the material (such as through streaming audio or video), the educational multimedia guidelines may apply.
Materials covered by Educational Multimedia Guidelines may be used for a period of up to two years without permission. Portion limitations include:

• 10% or 3 minutes, whichever is less, of motion media
• 10% or 1000 words, whichever is less, of text material


• 250 words of a poem, up to three poems or excerpts from a single poet, up to 5 excerpts by different poets from a single anthology


• 10% or 30 seconds, whichever is less, of the music and lyrics from an individual musical work
  up to 5 images by an artist or photographer


• 10% or 15 images, whichever is less, from a published collective


• 10% or 2500 fields or cell entries, whichever is less, from a database or data table

When is permission advised?

• If your use circumvents paying royalties, such as in course packs
• You are using substantial portions of or entire works


• You intend to use the content on an ongoing basis


• Your project is intended for non-educational or commercial uses


• Your site does not restrict access

Does fair use apply?
Depending on what materials you want to use, your use may still be a fair use, but it is likely to apply only in limited circumstances.

You'll need to review the fair use factors and evaluate if this applies to your situation. It is best not to rely on fair use for unrestricted web pages and it is recommended that should seek permission for this specific use.

Does the University own materials you create and place on a course web page?
Generally, no.

If you write materials for your class or a scholarly article, the University would not normally own these works. Simply placing materials you own on a University web site does not transfer ownership.

More information about ownership of works created at the University can be found in the creating copyright section of this site.