This presentation covers licensing and copyright issues related to open educational resources (OER). It defines key terms like copyright, public domain, Creative Commons licenses, and OER. Copyright automatically protects original works but can be signed away through open licenses like Creative Commons licenses. These licenses allow for legal sharing and reuse of content with varying levels of restrictions. OER are freely available resources with open licenses that allow users to reuse, revise, remix, retain, and redistribute content. The presentation advises checking for licensing information on resources and contacting creators if a license is unknown to determine if a resource can be legally used and shared.

1. Licensing Overview
Kelsey Smith
Adjunct OER Librarian
West Hills College Lemoore
This presentation by Kelsey Smith, West Hills College Lemoore, is licensed CC BY 4.0 International

2. Topics Covered
Creative
Commons
Public
Domain
Copyright

3. Copyright
A bundle of rights that is automatically
applied as soon as something it put into
a fixed, tangible format.

4. Copyright Review
What does it
protect?
All original ideas in a fixed, tangible medium (e.g. a book,
artwork, an audio file, a document, an email, etc.). It protects
published and unpublished work.
What does it do?
Prevents anyone but the creator from distributing, performing,
displaying, copying, and/or making derivatives of the work.
How is it granted?
It is automatically applied and no legal documentation is
needed for protection to begin. You can, however, register the
work with the US Copyright Office for additional legal leverage
(suing others for infringement).
What is the law?
It’s complicated! In general, you can assume the law is
protection of a work for the entire life of the creator plus and
additional 70 years.

5. No registration, notice, or official
documents needed
These restrictions can be signed away
(Open licenses)
Typically lasts for the duration of the
author’s life plus 70 years

6. “
“ the state of belonging or being available
to the public as a whole, and therefore not
subject to copyright ”
- Carrie Russel
Complete Copyright: A Guide for
Librarians
Public Domain

7. The following things cannot be
protected by copyright:
• Work where the copyright has expired.
• Work produced by the U.S. federal
government.
• Common knowledge, an idea, or fact.
• Procedures and/or processes.
• Titles, names, slogans, colors, shapes,
numbers, etc.
What’s in the Public
Domain?

8. Open Licenses
• Does not get rid of the copyright license, but allows for
access, reuse, and redistribution with little to no
restrictions
• Giving permissions to the public to use our work in a less
restricted way
• “Some Rights Reserved”
• Less restrictions = more knowledge spread!

9. Creative Commons
“ Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that works to
increase the amount of creativity (cultural, educational, and
scientific content) available in “the commons” — the body of
work that is available to the public for free and legal sharing,
use, repurposing, and remixing. ”

11. What is Considered OER?
◆Reuse
The right to use
the content in a
variety of
different ways
that best fit
your needs
(e.g. in class
activity, posted
on a website, in
a video)
◆Revise
The right to
adapt, adjust,
modify, or alter
the content
(e.g. translate
into another
language, add
or delete parts,
edit an image)
◆Retain
The right to
make, own, and
control copies
of the content
(e.g. download,
duplicate, and
store)
◆Remix
The right to
combine the
original or revised
content with
other material to
create something
completely new
(e.g. combining
OER together)
◆Redistribute
The right to share
copies of the
original content,
your revisions, or
your remixes with
others
(e.g. sharing links
and files, printing
out and sharing
with students)

12. “
How is the Resource
Licensed?
Can I Use This Resource?
Public Domain/CC0
Yes!
CC BY
CC BY SA
CC BY-NC
CC BY-NC-SA
CC BY-ND Yes, but remember that
these cannot be adapted or
remixedCC BY-NC-ND
Library Resources
Yes, but in the spirit of open,
openly licensed material is
preferred (another library
may not have access)
All Rights Reserved (Copyright)
Only if it is free of charge
and copyright is not
infringed upon. OER is
preferable.
Not
OER!
OER

13. Where’s the License?
● Open resources want you to know that they are
open--usually easy to find!
● At the very bottom of the web page, in the “terms
and conditions,” or “conditions of use”
● Still not sure? Ask! Some people are willing to
openly license or change the license on their work if
you ask them

14. ZTC Degree Grant Requirements
Though OER is recommended, the grant allows
any resource to be used in courses as long as it is
free to the students
Any OER created by faculty must be licensed
CC BY
Course information and resources will be
uploaded to the Professional Learning Network

15. Any questions?
Kelsey Smith
kelseysmith@whccd.edu