What is Copyright? (Click to Expand)
It is "the exclusive legal right given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film or record literary, artistic, or musical material and to authorize others to do the same." New Oxford American Dictionary. Accessed May 20, 2016.
Types of works protected include, but are not limited to: texts, audio, video, images, photographs, and websites.
What is Fair Use?
Fair Use is the right to use copyrighted materials without the permission of the copyright holder under some circumstances, especially when the socio / cultural benefits are dominant.
Some Fair Use Hints
-Material may be used for up to two years, students have longer if part of a portfolio for employment purposes.
-Up to 10% or 3 minutes of motion media may be used.
-Up to 10% or 1,000 words of text can be used.
-Up to 10% or no more than 30 seconds of music can be used.
-No more than 5 images by an artist, or 10% or 15 images of a book.
-Up to 10% or 2500 fields of a database.
-Limited copies can be made, no more than two.
-On all downloaded Internet material, copyright information must be displayed clearly.
What is an Orphan Work?
Orphan works are problematic, in they are works that the copyright holder cannot be found. Generally these are not used due to that uncertainty.
What does Public Domain mean?
Public Domain is the description given to works that are no longer protected by copyright due to expiration, inapplicability, or have forfeiture. The following are all in the public domain:
- Any work published before 1923.
- Works published between 1923 - 1963, if the original copyright was not renewed.
- Most factual compilations such as the phone book, times tables, etc
- U.S. Government publications, though some agencies display Licensed images on their webpages.
What is Creative Commons?
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that provides a licensing system that allow the creator to determine how, with or without limits, others can use their works. CC licenses frequently allow educators and students to use their works provided they are doing so for educational purposes.
How do I copyright Something?
There are several ways....
What do I need to ask myself?
You should have answers to all the following questions:
