Copyright Information and Use of Images from
I Found It at the JCB

The Copyright Act (PL 94-553), effective January 1, 1978, provides protection for all writings from the date of creation whether or not they are formally copyrighted. The law extends copyright protection until December 31, 2002, to all unpublished works now protected under common law.

Any material published in this online format is protected under federal law. Any researcher must obtain permission in writing from the owners of the published works. Please contact the Library, if you have any questions regarding publication of material.

The John Carter Brown Library is a non-profit institution largely dependent upon its own endowment for operating funds. To make possible the continued growth of the collection, from which everyone benefits, and to maintain a satisfactory level of service to scholars and to the general public, the Library must augment its income from a variety of sources. One of these sources is fees for the commercial use of images from the Library’s collection.

The Library retains copyright over any images from the collection that it distributes. Any reproduction of these images, in any form or medium—print, “xerographic,” video, digital, photographic, etc.—for whatever purpose is illegal without the Library's permission. Permission must be requested in writing from the Librarian using our Request for Permission to Publish form.

Ordinarily a fee will be charged for publication. See Imaging Service and Permissions on the Library webpage. Each item must carry the following credit line exactly as stated: “Courtesy of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University.” The Library may request a copy of a work that incorporates material from its collection.