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Copyright: Copyright Clearance Center/RightFind®

This guide provides information (not legal advice) to support NWC community decision-making in the use of copyright protected material in research, learning, and teaching.

Purpose of Guide and Disclaimer

This guide intends to refer NWC community users to accurate information. However, information received from the NWC Library or the NWC Copyright Librarian is neither legal advice/opinion nor legal counsel to the college or any members of the NWC community. Please contact the NWC Office of General Counsel or NWC Staff Judge Advocate's Office for NWC-related legal advice and interpretation of the law, or personal counsel for personal legal advice. The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by NWC of sites or the information, products, or services contained therein, nor does NWC exercise editorial control over the information found at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this guide. U.S. Copyright Law is subject to change.

Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) Annual Copyright License for Higher Education (ACLHE) and the RightFind® Academic Platform

The Annual Copyright License for Higher Education (ACLHE) with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) permits NWC community members, in the scope of their employment, to use portions of covered copyright-protected textual content for certain covered uses. The RightFind® Academic platform allows community members to check coverage for desired content along with their desired uses.

To determine if a portion of a book, journal, etc. is covered under the NWC's ACLHE through the CCC, simply follow the steps below:

  1. Go to the NWC-credentialed RightFind® Academic platform.
  2. If prompted to log in, use your NWC credentials (CAC or Blackboard account).
  3. Search for your desired textual publication:
    • Enter the publication title or standard number (ISBN/ISSN) of the publication you wish to use; OR
    • Search with keywords for results related to your topic of choice; OR
    • Use the advanced search functionality to search using multiple terms (title, author, publisher, and more). 

Please follow this link to find CCC's instructions on verifying coverage under the annual license.

Important terms of use:

  • The desired textual content AND desired use must both be listed in the RightFind® Academic platform with a green checkmark next to the listed content/use (image above).
  • If a covered work has special terms designated with a green exclamation mark, then your use must comply with the special terms.
  • If the desired content it is not listed or if the desired work has a red circle with a line through it (image above), then you would need to obtain copyright clearance from the Rightsholder or publisher, and/or pay for copyright access to use the item for your desired purpose. 
  • The sole/separate use of covered content's images, maps, photographs, etc. incorporated in the textual work are not permitted under the license.
  • The license does not permit the full use of a work like a book or an entire journal. It permits small portions of a book or an article to be used when covered.
  • When using the work, please provide the recipient(s) with a citation as well as the following disclaimer: "Please do not disseminate further; work provided under the CCC ACLHE."
  • License coverage is subject to change; please verify coverage when using a work in the future. The NWC renews the annual license each May.
  • Please be aware that the CCC ACLHE does not provide access to any works. When a work/use is covered, you would need to have your own lawfully obtained copy from which to make the extract.
  • Library-licensed resources follow separate licensing terms and potentially are not permitted to be used under the CCC ACLHE. Linking is the best practice for library subscription resources. For support with resources and links, please contact libref@usnwc.edu 

For CCC ACLHE support, please contact: copyright@usnwc.edu