These, however, are guidelines and not law. According to Copyright Office document FL102, The distinction between 'fair use' and infringement may be unclear and not easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission. In the case of a work made for hire , the employer or other person for whom the work was prepared is considered the author for purposes of this title, and, unless the parties have expressly agreed otherwise in a written instrument signed by them, owns all of the rights comprised in the copyright.
Most work performed under coalition contracts is considered work made for hire.
The NSF expects significant findings from research and educational activities it supports to be promptly submitted for publication with authorship that accurately reflects the contributions of those involved. It expects investigators to share with other researchers, at no more than incremental cost and within a reasonable time, the data, samples, physical collections, and other supporting materials created or gathered in the course of the work. It also encourages awardees to share software and inventions, once appropriate protection for them has been secured, or otherwise act to make the innovations they embody widely useful and usable. This policy provides incentive for develoment and dissemination of inventions, software, and publications that can enhance their usefulness, accessibility, and upkeep. Questions are sometimes raised as to the rights of graduate students, particularly regarding dissertation work.