This paper presents an overview of copyright issues for research and teaching. The first section provides historical background from the origin of the concept of copyright in 1557 in Britain to the present. The second section looks at fair use, including parameters and guidelines for reproduction. The following sections discusses the Berne Convention, the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Copyright Treaty Act, the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act), the TEACH (Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization) Act, and the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998. The final section addresses public domain. (Contains 22 references.) (MES)