Copyright Issues
Printed Materials
The Fair Use Doctrine (1978) of the Copyright Act governs the making of photocopies of copyrighted material. Photocopies may be made for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship or research as long as the reproduction or distribution is made without any purpose of direct or indirect commercial advantage. Rice University will follow the federal law in dealing with violations of the copyright code.
Special Licenses
Examples of situations requiring a special license or permission from copyright holder:
- Use of cartoons or logos for flyers or party themes
- Showing movies at a club activity
- Sharing computer software
- Use of music for events, performances, and the distribution and/or sale of video with music
Please contact the Office of Student Activities at sactclubs@rice.edu with any questions.
Use of Rice Name and Logo
The use of the Rice University name and logo in the printing of t-shirts, hats, etc. is generally acceptable, provided that the design is in good taste, the items will not be distributed outside the University and the items will not be sold for a profit. However, permission to use the Rice logo must be obtained by either the Office of Public Affairs or the Office of General Counsel. In order to obtain their permission you must email the Office of Student Activities (sactclubs@rice.edu) to assist you in the process. If your group intends to sell the items or distribute them outside the University, you must first secure approval from the Office of Student Activities.