Creative Commons Open Licenses
Copyright law is traditionally based on a legacy of physical materials, in which copying multiplied the existing supply of a given intellectual work. In the digital era, our relationship with media and the constraints of duplication, storage, and dissemination are very different. The traditional "All Rights Reserved" copyright keeps material under highly restrictive control for the rights holder, which may be the creator but is in many cases the publisher. Creative Commons licenses are a response to this new environment, and allow for creators to define exactly how they permit others to engage with their intellectual property. They may not mind copying and adapting, and may in fact encourage it. This is particularly common in academia and education, as permissive sharing allows for greater reach of ideas and more effective learning & teaching across disciplines.
Even when applying a Creative Commons license to their work, the creator still retains the copyright to their intellectual property. By making it available with an open license, they can stipulate how they would like to see their work used and engaged, always with the expectation of attribution. In this way, contributing Creative Commons-licensed material is not altogether different to academic publishing where authors make their scholarship available without a profit interest but anticipate responsible citations of their work.
Image by Foter, shared via CC-BY-SA license. Original here.
You may already be accustomed to using materials you find online in your instruction, scholarship, or student work by applying the principles of Fair Use. These applications require the user to make a Fair Use argument for their use of these materials, as they generally have a traditionally restrictive copyright applied. Openly licenses make very clear what is permitted, allowing individuals to engage with the material confidently without the need for a fair use argument, so long as the parameters of the specific CC license are respected.
Not only are Creative Commons licenses helpful as you use materials you find online, they are a powerful tool as you share your own creations with peers, colleagues, and students. Consider adding a CC license to your presentation recordings, lecture slides, assignments and labs; this ensures that if those materials are shared widely, there is a mechanism that ensures recognition and credit for your intellectual property.
For more in depth information, explore the University of Minnesota Libraries' pages on Creative Commons licenses, Fair Use, and Copyright in general. To consult on copyright issues, contact a Libraries professional here.