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Subject Guide -- Copyright and Intellectual Property  
Background Information
Reference Resources
Finding Books
Finding Articles
Web Resources
Maag Library, Reference Department
created by Annette A. Ahrens
(330)941-3680

Overview

Copyright and intellectual property issues are complex. Maag Library provides access to books, journals and online resources. The specific resources listed below are a portion of what is available through the library.

 
Background Information

Much of the information related to copyright law and intellectual property can be found in government publications.

A good starting place is with the U.S. Copyright Office information page entitled Copyright Basics. Searching FIRSTGOV.gov will also lead to many government information sources on copyright and intellectual property.

Search for information in MaagNet, as it provides links to almost all of the documents currently held in our collection or available online.

 
Reference Resources

Use these sources for background information or to gain an understanding of major concepts.

  • The librarian's guide to intellectual property in the digital age: copyrights, patents and trademarks Ref KF2980 .W485 2002
    A resource helpful for anybody, not just librarians, who want to understand the basics about copyright, patents and trademarks.
  • McCarthy's desk encyclopedia of intellectual property Ref KF 297 1991
    Defines and analyzes nearly 800 words, phrases, statutes, and conventions on trademark, copyright, trade secret, entertainment, and computer law. Includes new entries to reflect emerging areas of IP law.
  • Protecting trade secrets, patents, copyrights, and trademarks Ref KF2979 .D67 1990
    Explains the basic principles of intellectual property and provides access to resources including leading references, books, databases, articles, and associations.
  • Protecting your proprietary rights in the computer and high technology industries Ref KF3024 .C6 .M37 1998
    Explores the fundamental elements of proprietary rights and includes a discussion of three basic methods of asserting those rights in software and hardware: trade secret, copyright, and patent.
 
Finding Books

Books can be found through MaagNet, the Maag Library online catalog or through the OhioLINK Catalog. Use MaagNet to locate items available through Maag Library. Use the OhioLINK catalog to locate items available through other OhioLINK institutions. These items can be requested and delivered to Maag Library for pickup.
For more help finding books, see Finding Books.

Browsing for books
Resources are located throughout the library: items in the Reference Room, Serials and in the circulating collection are all arranged according to the Library of Congress Classification System. Once you locate a book or journal that is useful in one of these areas, you can locate information on the same or similar topics by locating the same call number in the other areas of the library. See Call Numbers and Floor Plans for assistance.

Some of the call numbers where you will find copyright and intellectual property information are:

  • K1 - 7720:   Law in general. Comparative and uniform law. Jurisprudence
  • KF:   Law of the United States
  • KF1 - 9827:   Federal law. Common and collective state law.

Searching For Books
See Finding Books for more information. To find books by subject, search MaagNet or the OhioLINK catalog. If you are not sure of the exact subject for the topic you are researching, begin with Copyright or Intellectual Property and browse the list of subjects or use one of the subjects below to get started.
  • Copyright -- Electronic information resources
  • Copyright -- Official information -- United States
  • Copyright -- United States
  • Design protection -- United States
  • Intellectual property -- United States
  • Intellectual property (International law)
 
Finding Articles

Many journals are now available through online subscription databases and through the OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center. Various terms can be used to search these databases, including subject and keywords. Most databases allow access by current YSU faculty, students and staff from off campus, although a few are restricted to in-library use only. For more information about connecting from home, see off-campus access.

  • Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost)
    Scholarly, multi-discipline, full text database designed specifically for academic institutions. This resource contains full text for over 3400 scholarly publications.
    On campus    Off campus
  • LexisNexis Academic
    Provides access to a wide range of news, including legal, from nearly 5,000 sources, most of them available full text.
    On campus     Off campus
  • Library Literature and Information Science
    Indexes key library and information science periodicals. Includes information on copyright legislation.
    On and off campus access
  • Electronic Journal Center (OhioLINK)
    Includes the full text of more than 6,000 online research journals covering many subject areas.
    On and off campus access
These databases provide a starting point for your research. To see other available databases, visit the Research Databases page.
 
Web Resources

The links below provide access to intellectual property resources on the Internet:

The links below provide access to intellectual property policies of other universities: