Understanding Intellectual Property: Copyright, Fair Use, Public Domain, and Creative Commons! by Ashley Jeffcoat

What is Copyright?

aljeffcoat001 — 2024-09-22 22:44:49 UTC

Copyright is a type of intellectual property law that protects original works of authorship from unauthorized use. Think of it as a forcefield or shields of sorts. It gives you the exclusive right to share, copy, or adapt your work. Your original work is automatically copyrighted as soon as you create it!

Duration of Copyright

aljeffcoat001 — 2024-09-22 22:44:49 UTC

Copyright doesn't last forever, but it still is a long time! In the US, for works created after 1978, copyright protection lasts for the author's lifetime plus an additional 70 years.

Copyright Registration

aljeffcoat001 — 2024-09-22 22:44:51 UTC

While your work is automatically copyrighted upon creation, registering with the U.S. Copyright Office is an important step onto your copyrighting journey. It provides additional benefits of protection for your work, such as the ability to sue for infringement and possibly receive statutory damages and attorney's fees circumstantially.

What is Fair Use?

aljeffcoat001 — 2024-09-22 22:44:51 UTC

Fair Use is like a 'get out of jail free' card in Monopoly, but for copyright! It allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. But be careful, it's not a blanket permission, you can get in some real trouble for tripping out of bounds.

The Four Factors of Fair Use

aljeffcoat001 — 2024-09-22 22:44:51 UTC

When determining Fair Use, courts consider four factors:
1. Purpose and character of use.
2. Nature of the copyrighted work.
3. Amount and substantiality of the portion used
4. Effect on the potential market.
Remember, Fair Use is a balancing act for sure, be careful and make sure to follow these factors.

Fair Use in the Classroom

aljeffcoat001 — 2024-09-22 22:44:52 UTC

Fair Use is an educator's best friend. It allows teachers to use portions of copyrighted works for educational purposes only. But as we remember, it's not a free-for-all. Teachers should only use what they need to get their points across, as to not push the boundaries and get into a mess.

Welcome to the Public Domain!

aljeffcoat001 — 2024-09-22 22:44:52 UTC

The Public Domain is like a giant, free library for everyone to interact with and use works from! Works in the Public Domain are not protected by intellectual property laws and can be freely used by anyone. Many people love using these works as jumping off points to help spur on their on creative projects. Check out most of Disney's movies inspired by classic fairytales, those fairytale roots started with public domain stories.

How Works Enter the Public Domain

aljeffcoat001 — 2024-09-22 22:44:52 UTC

Works can enter the Public Domain in three ways:
1. Copyright expiration (currently, works published before 1927 in the US)
2. Dedication by the creator (leaving their work to be free for use for the public)
3. Works created by the U.S. federal government
Think of it like a retirement home for creative works!

Famous Public Domain Works

aljeffcoat001 — 2024-09-22 22:44:52 UTC

You can use, adapt, or even sell some of these famous works without permission due to its status in public domain. It'll jump start your creativity for sure!

Introducing Creative Commons

aljeffcoat001 — 2024-09-22 22:44:53 UTC

Creative Commons (CC) is a whole bunch of different licensing options for creators! It allows authors to easily share their work with the public while retaining some rights. CC licenses are a middle ground between full copyright and public domain.

Types of CC Licenses

aljeffcoat001 — 2024-09-22 22:44:53 UTC

Creative Commons offers a variety of licenses, let's look at a few:
- CC BY (Attribution)
- CC BY-SA (Attribution-ShareAlike)
- CC BY-NC (Attribution-NonCommercial)
- CC BY-ND (Attribution-NoDerivs)
Each license gives different permissions to users, offering different options to help protect or let loose a published work!

Finding CC Licensed Works

aljeffcoat001 — 2024-09-22 22:44:54 UTC

Need images, music, or videos that you are able to use for your own project? CC licensed works are everywhere! Check out websites like Flickr, YouTube, and Wikimedia Commons. Just remember to give proper attribution and follow the specific license terms, you don't want to end up in trouble. But these resources are very helpful!

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Watch me!