Copyright and the Library

Princeton University and the Library comply with United States copyright law. The Library encourages all campus researchers to have basic understanding of U.S. copyright law and an awareness of Princeton University’s Copyright Policy. General questions about appropriate use of library materials that may be under copyright should be directed to [email protected].

Using our collections

The Princeton University Library (PUL) provides broad access to its print and electronic resources for teaching, learning, and research. By using these resources, all library users agree to abide by copyright law, the terms and conditions of each resource, and be solely responsible for any unauthorized or unlawful use of resources. The Library encourages all campus researchers to have basic understanding of U.S. copyright law and an awareness of their rights and responsibilities regarding reproduction and use of copyrighted material. We do not own the copyright for most of the resources we make available, and claim no copyright on digital reproductions that we create. PUL encourages library users to make the best use of resources in the public domain or apply fair use when using copyrighted works for the purpose of criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, or research.

Rights of Privacy and Publicity

Separate and distinct from issues of copyright that protect an owner’s work, the right of privacy refers to the concept that one's personal information is protected from public scrutiny while the right of publicity is a person’s right to keep personal information private, and also control the use of their identity for commercial promotion. Unauthorized use of one's name or likeness is recognized as an invasion of privacy. Library users need to take these issues into consideration when using library resources and are solely responsible for addressing issues whenever needed.  Although the Library tries to identify and remediate sensitive information that could threaten the privacy and security of individuals, organizations, or other entities represented in the collections, sensitive or private information may inadvertently be included in digital collections. 

Removal Requests

PUL makes the best effort to adhere to all known copyright and rights of privacy and publicity of its resources. If you are a rights holder (or are acting on behalf of a minor child or an incapacitated parent, spouse, domestic partner or adult child) and have concerns related to copyright, privacy, or other legal or ethical issues regarding content made available on our website, you are welcome to submit a removal request.

Use this form to submit a removal request, including the URL of the content that you would like removed, and the basis of your request (copyright, privacy, etc.). Please note that you may be asked for additional information to better understand the issue and its consequences.