Guidelines for Fair Use of e-Resources

1.     Preamble

The Central Library of IIT Bhubaneswar provides access to a wide range of licensed electronic resources (e-journals, e-books, databases, spreadsheets, data visualization (DataVis) tools, e-case studies, Multimedia Resources (audio, video lectures, simulations), Standards & Technical Specifications, datasets, e-newspapers, e-magazines,  etc.) to support teaching, learning, research, and innovation.

These resources are governed by:

• License agreements with publishers
• Copyright laws
• National initiatives such as ONOS
• Institutional IT and research ethics policies

 This policy ensures responsible, ethical, and legally compliant use, including emerging AI and data-driven research practices.

 2.     Scope and Applicability

This policy applies to:

• Faculty, students, staff, researchers, project staff and authorized on-campus users  (Hereafter referred to as “Authorized Users”)

 3.     Definitions

• E-Resources: Licensed digital content (e-journals, e-books, databases, spreadsheets, data visualization (DataVis) tools, e-case studies, Multimedia Resources (audio, video lectures, simulations), Standards & Technical Specifications, datasets, e-newspapers, e-magazines,  etc.)
• Fair Use: Limited use for academic, research, teaching purposes
• Systematic Downloading: Bulk or automated downloading of content
• AI Tools: Software platforms (e.g., ChatGPT-like systems, ML tools) used for analysis, generation, or training
• Secure Network: Institute-controlled authenticated access system

 4.     Permitted Uses

Authorized users may:

        4.1.  Academic & Research Use

• Access, search, browse, and view e-resources
• Download, print, and save reasonable portions (e.g., individual articles)
• Use materials for:

o    Teaching and classroom instruction

• Research and scholarly work
• Private study

        4.2.   Scholarly Communication

• Share single articles with authorized users within IIT Bhubaneswar
• Use excerpts, figures, and tables with proper attribution
• Include content in:
  • Theses, dissertations
  • Assignments and academic publications

        4.3.  Linking and Referencing

• Provide links (URLs/DOIs) instead of uploading full-text PDFs
• Use citation and referencing as per academic standards 

5.     Artificial Intelligence (AI), Text and Data Mining (TDM)

·         Use of licensed e-resources with AI tools is subject to publisher license agreements and is generally restricted.

·         Users must not:

o   Upload licensed content to public or third-party AI tools

o   Use content for AI model training or large-scale data mining without explicit permission

·         Limited use of AI tools is permitted only when:

o   Using open-access, publicly available, or self-authored content

o   Using secure, Institute-approved AI tools (if available)

·         Unauthorized use of e-resources with AI tools may lead to violation of licensing agreements. 

6.     Prohibited Uses

The following are strictly prohibited:

        6.1.  Misuse of Content

• Systematic or bulk downloading (manual or automated)
• Downloading entire books, journal issues, or databases
• Creating personal or institutional repositories of licensed content

       6.2.  Unauthorized Access & Sharing

• Sharing login credentials
• Providing access to non-authorized users
• Posting full-text content on:
  • Public websites
  • Social media
  • Open repositories

       6.3.  Commercial Exploitation

• Selling, reselling, or redistributing content
• Using resources for commercial consultancy without permission

       6.4.  Technical Violations

• Use of bots, crawlers, scrapers, or AI agents for automated downloading
• Circumventing access controls or DRM systems

       6.5.  Content Manipulation

• Altering, modifying, or republishing content without permission
• Removing copyright notices 

7.     Privacy, Ethics, and Responsible Use

• Users must respect:
  • Copyright laws
  • Data privacy regulations
  • Research ethics
• Special care must be taken when:
  • Using datasets involving human subjects
  • Sharing sensitive or personal data

 8.     Violations and Penalties

Violation of this policy may result in:

• Blocking of institutional access by publishers

The following action will be taken against violator:

• Immediate suspension of library access
• Disciplinary action as per Institute rules
• Legal consequences