Copyright law supports a fundamental mission of colleges and universities to create and disseminate new knowledge and understanding through teaching, research, and scholarship in two basic ways: (1) by providing incentives for the creation of new works through the provision of proprietary rights to copyright owners, and (2) by providing limitations on those rights in order to facilitate public access to and use of creative works. This document, prepared by the Association of American Publishers, the Association of American Universities, the Association of American University Presses, and the Association of Research Libraries, is intended to present a basic explanation of copyright law with an emphasis on its application to colleges and universities. The document: (1) provides a discussion of current copyright issues in the higher education setting that reflects the concerns and points of view of colleges and universities and the publishing community with which these institutions regularly interact and collaborate; (2) encourages colleges and universities to review their institutional policies on the use and management of copyrighted works in light of the continuing evolution of digital technologies and the numerous revisions to copyright and related laws generated in part by that evolution; and (3) provides information to colleges and universities concerning the development of educational materials for their students, faculty, and staff that provide guidance on the creation, use, and management of copyrighted works in this shifting legal and societal landscape. Part I of this document provides a primer on copyright law. Part II addresses specific issues that may be relevant to development of an institutional copyright policy.