Creative Commons, OERs and Beyond

General Information about Copyright and Copyright Protection

The purpose of copyright is to encourage the creation of new works, by ensuring that authors/creators receive attribution for their works and also that the integrity of creative works is preserved. 

  1. Copyright grants a set of exclusive rights to creators.  This means that the work cannot be copied, distributed, performed, adapted, or used in a way that violates these rights. 
  2. It does not protect facts or ideas, only the expression of facts or ideas are protected.  Copyright gives the creator the control over the expression of an idea, but it does not give the copyright holder the ability to own or exclusively control the idea itself.
  3. Generally, copyright is automatic the moment the work is fixed in a tangible medium. It applies to works of original authorship, works that are unique and not just a copy of someone else's work. 
  4. Copyright protection lasts for the life or the author plus 70 years for individual authors or 90 years for corporate authors. 

Exemptions to Copyright

  • Fair Use - determined in the United States using a four-factor test
    1. The Purpose and character of use
    2. The nature of the copyrighted work
    3. The amount and sustainability of the portion taken
    4. The effect of the use upon the potential market
      For more information about Fair Use click here.

Intellectual Property - for more information about intellectual property and other rights and laws click here.

For information about the Public Domain click here.

Information modified from creativecommons.org and materials from the Creative Commons Certificate Program.

 

A sampling of the documents that have been published related to the Copyright and the CTEA,
that are currently available through the Cairn University Library.

A sampling of the many articles that have been published related to the Copyright and the CTEA,
that are currently available through the Cairn University Library.

A sampling of the many ebooks that have been published related to the Copyright and the CTEA,
that are currently available through the Cairn University Library.

Links to websites that provide more information about Copyright and the CTEA.