Why copyright matters (or does it?)

Abstract

Copyright is omnipresent in scholarly communication (and teaching, learning, research, digital technology, music, video, okay, you get the idea). Protection happens automatically under copyright law, leaving users to ponder strategies for managing copyright challenges and make meaningful decisions about using copyrighted works. Copyright provides some exceptions that permit specific uses, including fair use, and offers a foundation to reframe some sharing relationships through licensing (contract) strategies – think publication agreement, Creative Commons, and other positive licensing possibilities. This conversation will introduce you to the principles of copyright and frame a few central issues of scholarly communication, emphasizing your questions and thoughts on how copyright influences your work.