Copyright Permission
You should assume that any material from other sources that you use in your thesis, including text, pictures, musical compositions, graphs, charts, cartoons, and so forth, is copyrighted. You must obtain written permission from the copyright owner to use it. To obtain written permission, send the copyright owner a concise letter specifying your intended use and allow ample time for a response. If you get no response or if you are denied permission, you must remove the copyrighted material from your document. A student should send out copyright permission requests at least four months before his or her defense date.
You must submit a copy (keep the original in a safe place) of all letters granting the use of copyrighted material to the Lamson Library at Plymouth State University.
In the US, if you have created an original document, it is automatically copyrighted for the period of your lifetime plus fifty years. Formal notice or registration is not necessary; nevertheless, you should include a copyright page in your document to alert readers that you are the copyright owner and that you acknowledge your legal rights. You may wish to register your copyright, though this step is optional. Registration establishes public record of your document, its copyright and your name and address. Students who choose to register the copyright personally should contact: Registration of Copyright, Copyright Office, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20540.