Useful Terms
Please review the glossary below as needed for definitions of terms that have appeared in this work and a few related terms. When you are ready, move ahead to the final Check & Reflect section.
Glossary
Copyright: A form of intellectual property that gives the owner (usually the author) of an original work exclusive rights relating to copying, disseminating, and adapting the work. The rights protected by copyright are automatically granted to the copyright holder, whether or not this is stated on the work itself.
Creative Commons: A nonprofit organization that creates and shares a range of open copyright licenses that anyone may apply to their own creative works.
Fair use: A legal doctrine that permits unlicensed use of copyrighted works in certain circumstances.
Free: In this context, the ability to access or view a work without charge. This may or may not include permissions like reusing, modifying, or sharing the work.
Open: A free grant of permissions typically protected by copyright.
Open Access: A publishing model in which work is made available to the end user at no cost and under an open license.
Open Educational Resources: Any materials designed for teaching and learning that are either in the public domain or come with an open license. They may include print or digital texts, videos, lesson plans, images, and more.
License: A document specifying how a work may be used. It grants permissions and states restrictions. Authors may choose to use an open license, which shares permissions typically protected by copyright without transferring ownership of the work.
Public Domain: Describes creative works that are not protected by copyright, and are therefore free to use without permission. Works in the public domain are those whose intellectual property rights have expired, have been forfeited, or are inapplicable.
Redistribute: In this context, the ability to share a work with others or on other platforms.
Remix: In this context, combining two or more openly licensed works to create something new.
Retain: In this context, the ability to keep or make your own copy of a work.
Reuse: In this context, the ability to reuse an unmodified work verbatim in a variety of ways and settings.
Revise: In this context, adapting, modifying, or improving a work originally created by someone else.
