For more information on Copyright, please refer to the American University Library "Copyright at American University" Libguide for more explanation and resources.
Image from Integrated General Counsel
When it comes to any project that you quote or reference to someone else's work- copyright is essential. Copyright is the legal protection of the creators/authors of original works. Examples of works that can be copyrighted are books, music, databases, etc. When someone uses a copyrighted work without the permission of the copyright holder, that person is conducting a copyright infringement.
Similarly, there is also Digital Copyright which protects content that is created, distributed, and accessed in digital formats. For instance, if you were to create a podcast or video essay, having a digital copyright of your product protects it on various platforms and its usage.
Public Domain is the opposite of Copyright- meaning works considered "public domain" various intellectual property laws like copyright, patents, or trademarks do not protect it. As such, works under the public domain can be used and distributed by anyone even without the permission of the original owner/author as the work is "owned by the public."
Below is an example of a Public Domain for images. Disney has produced various versions of the well-known Mickey Mouse. However, certain versions of Mickey are copyrighted and can not be used by the public due to copyright. However, a version of Mickey (one the earliest versions from 1928) is under the public domain. It can be used by anyone as "the earliest version of Mickey Mouse will enter the U.S. public domain in 2024, but later iterations remain protected" (copyright lately).
Image from copyright lately
With all of these various types of intellectual property laws, the creators of these works are also known as "Copyright holders." As Copyright holders, they can authorize different types of use of their work. This act is called licensing, where there are clear guidelines for users and publishers to know about a work before they reuse it for their purposes. Creative Commons (CC) is often the standard licensing that many creators use to ensure that their work is not only protected but reused efficiently.
Below is an infographic created by Creative Commons that defines the different types of CC Licenses and when to use them.
