Creative Commons makes it easy to use copyrighted materials!
Copyright law can be difficult and confusing. Specific exemptions allow for the use of copyrighted material in the classroom, libraries, and online learning. An instructor can evaluate copyrighted material for a fair use exemption or obtain permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright holders who want their work to be reused and distributed can use a Creative Commons license to bypass the copyright labyrinth. It works with copyright law, not against it. In the OER world, most creators use a Creative Commons or similar license for their work.
Creative Commons licenses show you in plain English how the copyrighted work should be used, copied, and credited. Creative Commons is a global nonprofit organization that encourages sharing and creativity. It is a powerful tool for educators.
See the Creative Commons license symbols below for more information!
• openverse - Explore the materials that have been openly licensed with Creative Commons.
Are you willing to share a resource you created with fellow educators and the world? A Creative Commons website allows you to easily assign a license to your own work. Answer a few simple questions about how you would like your work used and the site will generate a license image which will allow you to quickly let others know how your work should be used.
Would you like additional information or help?
Contact Dale Dulaney, Collections & OER Librarian, ddulaney@virginiawestern.edu, 857-7438.
Brown Library
3095 Colonial Ave. SW
Phone: 540.857.7303
