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Open Educational Resources (OER)

A guide for faculty to find OER & no-cost materials

Copyright SDCCD

Copyright, Fair Use, and the TEACH Act

Much has been written about Copyright, Fair Use, and the TEACH Act as court cases interpret and reinterpret their applications. See the following documents for more information:

Licensing

Licensing Considerations

Understanding U.S. Copyright law can be challenging, especially in the digital environment. Exemptions exist for classroom teaching, libraries, and online learning, but these can be tricky to figure out and apply properly.

  • Option One: use works in the public domain 
  • Option Two: use works with Creative Commons licensing, which offers varying degrees of permissions

Contact Lisa Burgert at LBurgert@sdccd.edu for assistance with determining copyright. Help is available!

Public Domain

What is Public Domain?

The term "public domain" encompasses materials for which:

  • U.S. government publications
  • Works published prior to 1925
  • Copyright owner has intentionally and explicitly "dedicated" it to the public domain
  • Works published by a single author after 1977, the copyright will not expire until 70 years after the author’s death