Creative Commons (CC) Licensing

“Copyright is the area of law that limits how others may access and use the original works of authors — works spanning the spectrum from novels and operas, corporate manuals, archives, cat videos, to scribbles on a napkin.”

Fundamentals of Copyright

• Copyright grants a set of exclusive rights to copyright owners:
• You cannot copy, distribute, publicly perform, or adapt a creator’s work without permission of the copyright holder.
• Copyright is automatic the moment a work is created, though some countries require that the work be fixed in a tangible medium before granting copyright.
• In the US, you do not have copyright until you capture your work in a fixed form. 
• Copyright lasts an extremely long time – decades after the death of the creator.

Purpose of Copyright

There are two primary reasonings when thinking about copyright law.

• Utilitarian: Copyright is designed to provide an incentive to creators. The aim is to encourage the creation and publication of new works for social benefits.
• Author's Rights: Copyright protection serves to recognize and protect the deep connection authors have with their creative works.

• Copyright is typically automatic the moment the work is created. In the US, that is once the work has been captured in a fixed form. 
• While copyright does not last forever, in the US, it does cover the life of the author plus 70 years.

"2.1 Copyright Basics" by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0

"2.3 The Public Domain" by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0

"2.4 Exceptions and Limitations to Copyright" by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0