Copyright Statement

The Field Museum website, fieldmuseum.org (“Website”) is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. The Field Museum of Natural History (“Museum”), as a creator and user of intellectual property, strives to strike and appropriate balance between sharing content with users and respecting the rights of creators; this document provides information on how users (“you”) may use this content.   By using the Museum’s Website you agree to the terms and conditions contained in this Copyright Statement (“Copyright Terms”) and to the Website’s Terms of Use.

1. Website Content and Collections Data

These Copyright Terms apply to the Website and the code, software, designs, interface, images, audio/visual recordings, and other elements of or appearing on the Website (collectively, “Content”). Material served through the Museum’s Collection’s Management System is provided under different terms; see the Museum’s Conditions and Suggested Norms for Use of Collections Data and Images for more information.

2. Authorized Uses

You may use the Museum’s Content for personal, non-commercial purposes only or for “fair use” as described by Section 107 of the United States Copyright Act (e.g., classroom teaching), provided that you cite the source and retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained on or in the Content. Content under copyright and owned by third parties may not be used for any purpose, except as allowed by fair use, without permission of the rights holder. Some Content may be licensed under a Creative Commons license by the Museum or a third party rights holder; where a Creative Commons license is explicitly attached to specific Content, such Content may be used as authorized by the Creative Commons license.

3. Rights Reserved

The Content is protected by United States copyright, trademark, and patent laws, international laws and conventions, and other relevant intellectual property laws through out the world. All Content is the property of the Museum and its licensors.

The Museum and relevant third parties own and expressly reserve all rights in the Content, which may be used only as set forth in these Copyright Terms or by obtaining explicit written permission from the Museum or the relevant rights holder. Any unauthorized use or modification may violate copyright laws, trademark laws, the laws of privacy and publicity, communications regulations and statutes, or other applicable laws or contractual obligations. The Museum expressly reserves all rights and remedies available under these laws, regulations, and statutes.

You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, download, repost, copy, or otherwise use the Content for commercial purposes or for any purpose not authorized by these Copyright Terms without the express prior written permission of the Museum or the relevant third party rights holder. To learn more about how to request permission to use the Contents, please see Section 6. Obtaining Permission for Use, below.

4. Trademarks

Institutional names, exhibition names, and other trademarks, logos, and service marks displayed on the Website, including without limitation “Field Museum,” various SUE trademarks and logos, including but not limited to “SUE at The Field Museum” and “A T. rex Named SUE”, “The Brain Scoop”, and variations thereof, are registered and unregistered trademarks owned by the Museum, in which the Museum has built and maintains substantial goodwill. The trademarks of third parties, such as sponsors, grantors, and affiliates, may also be displayed on this Website. Nothing contained on this Website or in these Copyright Terms or the Terms of Use should be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel or otherwise, any license or right to use any trademark displayed on the Website without the prior written permission of the Museum or the relevant third party trademark holder. Any unauthorized use of these trademarks is strictly prohibited.

5. No Warranties

The Museum neither warrants nor represents that your use of the Content will not infringe the Museum’s or a third party’s copyright, trademark rights, right of publicity or privacy or any other right.

6. Obtaining Permission for Use

Prior written permission is required to use the Content for any purpose other than as authorized by these Copyright Terms. Permission will be granted on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion of the Museum or the appropriate rights holder; a usage or licensing fee may apply. For third party Content reproduced on this Website, please contact the credited organization or individual directly. 

For all other content, please complete this form for review by the Museum's licensing team.

7. User Content

“User Content” is any and all information or material—other than personally identifiable information, which is governed by the Museum’s Privacy Statement—transmitted to the Museum or uploaded to the Museum’s Website or otherwise supplied to the Museum. The Museum does not assert any ownership in User Content; you retain all rights associated with the User Content, subject to the following license granted to the Museum:

By supplying User Content to the Museum by any means, you expressly grant the Museum a non-exclusive, royalty-free, world-wide, perpetual, irrevocable, and sub-licensable right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, display, translate, distribute, make available, and make derivatives of the User Content in any media for any purpose, including but not limited to advertising, fundraising, or commercial purposes, in connection with the Museum and the promotion thereof. Should the Museum wish to make use of a person’s image or likeness as contained in the User Content for advertising, promotional, or fundraising purposes, the Museum will make a reasonable effort to secure permission. Furthermore, the Museum and its affiliates may use any ideas, concepts, know-how, techniques, or similar information contained in any User Content you send for any purpose whatsoever.

By supplying User Content to the Museum, you warrant that you (a) control all of the rights to that User Content and that you had the right to supply the User Content to the Museum and grant the license above; (b) warrant that the Museum’s use of the User Content under the above granted license will not infringe the rights of any third party; and (c) waive any moral rights granted by the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 or any similar statute or common law associated with the User Content.

These Copyright Terms apply unless you have a written agreement with the Museum in which the Museum agrees to different terms with respect to particular material.

If you believe the Museum is improperly using your copyrighted material, please submit a notice to our DMCA agent using the DMCA Procedure detailed below.

DMCA Procedure

If you are a copyright owner or the agent of a copyright owner and believe that any Content on the Website infringes your copyright, you may submit a notice pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), 17 U.S.C. §512(c)(2), requesting removal of certain Content. Your notice must conform to the requirements of the DMCA and contain the following information in writing:

  • Identification of the work(s) claimed to have been infringed;
  • Identification of material that is claimed to be infringing that is reasonably sufficient to allow us to locate and identify the material in question (e.g., a URL);
  • Your contact information so that our DMCA agent may respond to you: an address, telephone number, and email address;
  • A statement of your good faith belief that the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright holder, its agent, or the law;
  • A statement that the information in your notice is true and accurate, and, under penalty of perjury, that you are the owner, or are authorized to act on the copyright owner’s behalf;
  • Your physical or electronic signature.

DMCA must be sent to the Museum’s designated DMCA agent:

Sarah Ebel

Field Museum of Natural History

Office of General Counsel

1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr.

Chicago, Illinois 60605

Email: dmca@fieldmuseum.org

The Museum provides the above contact information for purposes of the DMCA only and reserves the right to respond only to correspondence that is relevant to this purpose. Failure to comply with the requirements listed above or contained in the DMCA may render your DMCA notice invalid.

Last updated on May 21, 2018