Creative Commons vs Copyright
Creative Commons and Copyright are not in opposition. They work together to create an OER. The important thing to remember is that only the copyright holder can assign a Creative Common license to their original work. If one does not own the copyright to a resource, then one cannot openly license it.
Most OER are licensed using a Creative Commons license, which allows creators to choose exactly how their work can be used and reused. Since OER are not just free from cost but also have free and perpetual permission to engage in the 5 Rs (retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute), it's important to tell others exactly how they can and cannot use the OER you've created. Similarly, if you're adopting existing OER or revising existing OER, you must understand how the licenses work so you know what you can and cannot do.
Using Creative Commons Licenses
Creative Commons licenses are made up of four conditions that can be mixed and matched to create six different license combinations. When the licenses are combined, they make up six different CC licenses that one can choose from, ranging from least to most restrictive. Under each license, you retain copyright over your creation but allow others to use it under certain conditions.
Choosing and Attributing Licenses
- Things to consider before licensing your workOutlines things to think about before applying Creative Commons license for your work or using Creative Commons-licensed materials.
- Creative Commons License OptionsExplains in detail what each CC license entails.
- Choosing a licenseLearn how to choose the appropriate license for your work.
- Wiki/CC License CompatibilityWhen combining works bearing different kinds of CC licenses, you must make sure that they are compatible with one another. This chart can help.
- Marking your work with CC licenseLearn how to mark your work with a Creative Commons license.
- Best practices for attributionProvides some good (and not so good) examples of attribution.
- Open attribution builderAllows you to easily cite open materials. Created by Open Washington, this tool will automatically generate the attribution for you.
More Resources
- Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for OERIntended to support authors, teachers, professors, librarians, and all open educators in evaluating when and how they can incorporate third party copyright materials into OER to meet their pedagogical goals.
- Copley Library Copyright GuideCopley Library is committed to helping the USD community understand and use copyright regulations in their scholarship and teaching. In this guide, you'll find resources on fair use, copyright for authors, information on using images and media, and more.