Research Guides: Multimedia ReUse: Copyright, Public Domain and Creative Commons for Multimedia ReUse

Resources discussed in class

A Framework for Analyzing any U.S. Copyright Problem
Five questions for analyzing any U.S. Copyright problem. 1) Is the work protected by Copyright? (mine, someone else's, or is it in the Public Domain?) 2) Is there a specific exemption in copyright law that covers my use? 3) Is there a license that covers my use? (licensed resources, Creative Commons license) 4) Is my use covered by Fair Use? 5) Do I need to obtain permission from the copyright owner for my use?

In-Class Presentation

Staying Organized: When writing a journal article it is important to keep track of your sources so that you can properly cite quotes and ideas belonging to others. Likewise, it is important to keep track visuals works - and their Terms of Use - for your digital story. A simple spreadsheet or GoogleSheet such as this example may be helpful.

Essential Foundations of OER: Open Licensing. "Get Creative: On the origin and adventures of the Creative Commons licensing project"

Intro to Copyright, Creative Commons, Public Domain etc.

Copyright Basics (12 pages)
Copyright basics from the U.S. Copyright Office.
Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright
Information from the U.S. Copyright Office.
What are Creative Commons Licenses?
Creative Commons licenses allow authors to tell others that "Some Rights Reserved," which allows (with attribution) users to distribute and share their works, sometimes modify them, and sometimes for commercial gain. ATTRIBUTION IS REQUIRED.
Best practices for attribution of Creative Commons Licensed works (in specific media)
Learn how to attribute Creative Commons' licensed work in specific media.
Attributing Works with Creative Commons licenses
Four elements "TASL" are required for attribution: Title, Author, Source, License.
What does it mean when a resource is "In the Public Domain"?
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An important wrinkle to understand about public domain material is that, while each work belongs to the public, collections of public domain works may be protected by copyright. If, for example, someone has collected public domain images in a book or on a website, the collection as a whole may be protectible even though individual images are not. You are free to copy and use individual images but copying and distributing the complete collection may infringe what is known as the “collective works” copyright. Collections of public domain material will be protected if the person who created it has used creativity in the choices and organization of the public domain material. This usually involves some unique selection process, for example, a poetry scholar compiling a book — The Greatest Poems of e.e. cummings.

There are four common ways that works arrive in the public domain:
1. the copyright has expired
2. the copyright owner failed to follow copyright renewal rules
3. the copyright owner deliberately places it in the public domain, known as “dedication,” or
4. copyright law does not protect this type of work.

© 2005–2015 The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (CC BY SA)

Open Education, Copyright & Scholarly Communications Librarian

Anita Walz

Email Me

Contact:

Newman Library 4015

540-231-2204

Subjects: Business