Finding, Using, and Sharing: An Introduction to Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons Licenses for Virginia Master Naturalists

Many Virginia Master Naturalists give presentations, create and share chapter newsletters, develop websites, use social media, or write articles etc. While is sometimes possible to create original text and graphics for such education or outreach artifacts, that is certainly a lot of work -- and not so desirable. Using a series of examples, this presentation introduces you to six important copyright principles, methods for finding and legally reusing images and illustrations, including Creative Commons-licensed works, and best practices for crediting authors.

By the end of the presentation participants should be able to answer the questions: What is under copyright? How does it get there? How long does copyright last? What activities does copyright cover? Can I use others' copyrighted works -- and how? What are Creative Commons licenses? What are “Terms of Use”? What is the Public Domain, and is that the same as “free online”? (no) Is Fair Use an option and how can I know? Do I have to get permission? and perhaps most importantly -- How can I find and legally use others' artifacts which they want me to be able to use?