This section will provide a brief introduction to copyright basics that you may encounter while using and licensing OER and other materials.

Creative Commons licenses are the most widely used type of open license. There are six different Creative Commons licenses available, each with a different set of conditions for re-use and adaptation of works.

Always check the license to determine if your intended use of a work falls within the license terms.

Learn more about Creative Commons licenses here, or check out Creative Commons for Educators and Librarians by Creative Commons, published by the American Library Association.

Turn each card over to learn about each Creative Commons license. Click the blue arrow button to advance to the next card.

When using OER, ensure you have correctly attributed the work. Except for works in the public domain, all Creative Commons-licensed works require attribution.

An attribution requires four parts, which follow the acronym TASL:

• Title: Title of the work, if provided.
• Author: Author's name, ideally with link to their profile. The author is usually the copyright holder. If the copyright holder requests another entity, such as an institution, to be credited instead, attribute the work accordingly.
• Source: Give the URL or link to the original work. 
• License: Name the CC License that was applied to the work you are using, and provide a link to the license deed. 

Example of a correct attribution for a work you have reused:

For more on attributing sources, visit the Creative Commons Wiki.