Copyright Ownership

For information on the copyright ownership of a thesis or dissertation, see Research & Publication > Intellectual Property.

Copyright Notice & Registration

For general information on copyright, see Research & Publication > Copyright & Patent. Although the existence of copyright is not contingent on notice or registration of copyright, students should nevertheless incorporate a copyright notice in the thesis or dissertation manuscript. Such a notice signals to the readers that the author acknowledges ownership of the manuscript and all legal rights associated therewith. The copyright notice includes the copyright symbol, the year of publication, and the author’s name, e.g. ©2010, John Doe. Copyright registration is an optional practice that establishes a public record of the copyright and the contact information of the copyright owner. In the United States, timely registration is required before legal actions can be taken in cases of copyright infringement.

ProQuest Copyright Registration Service

Students who publish their thesis or dissertation with ProQuest may choose to utilize ProQuest’s copyright registration service. For a fee, ProQuest will act as the author’s agent in applying for a copyright for the manuscript. The service includes preparing the application and submitting the required deposit copies and the registration fee to the United States Copyright Office at the Library of Congress. The office will send the copyright registration form directly to the author. For more information on this service provided by ProQuest, contact the Office of Graduate Student Services. Depending on their country of origin, students who are foreign nationals may be subject to certain restrictions when applying for copyrights in the United States.

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