Copyright Basics Course (How To)

Understanding the basics of copyright and licensing in the United States is vital for anyone working in a creative field, and that includes web designers, developers, and mobile devs. Coding requires creativity and works created for the web fall under copyright law. This Deep Dive will give you the knowledge you need to both protect and share your own creations. You'll learn how to copyright your website or app, read license agreements, work with open-source software and Creative Commons, combat copyright infringement, properly license your own creations, and much more.

What you'll learn

• Copyrighting your work
• Fair Use
• Licensing
• Creative Commons and open source
• Writing and sending DMCA takedown notice

Getting Started with Copyright

Let's start with the very basics of copyright and learn what copyright means, how to copyright your work, what can (and can't) be copyrighted, and why learning about copyright is important in the first place.

Chevron 8 steps

• Introduction to Copyright Basics

  1:39

• What is Copyright?

  2:08

• How to Copyright Your Work

  1:16

• What Can Be Copyrighted?

  4:23

• What Can Be Copyrighted?

  4 questions

• Trademarks

  1:41

• What Copyright Means to You

  1:41

• Getting Started with Copyright

  8 questions

Fair Use and Public Domain

While copyright does protect creative works, there are exceptions to copyright such as fair use and the public domain.

Chevron 9 steps

• Understanding Fair Use

  3:13

• "The Purpose"

  1:53

• "The Nature"

  2:11

• "The Amount"

  1:12

• "The Effect"

  1:40

• Fair Use in the Real World

  2:32

• Fair Use

  4 questions

• Public Domain

  2:39

• Public Domain

  4 questions

Licensing

Licensing is the way we work with the creative content of others every day of our lives. Whether you're downloading iTunes, opening up Photoshop, starting a new WordPress blog, or buying a video game, you're agreeing to a license.

Chevron 9 steps

• Introduction to Licensing

  2:52

• How to Read a License Agreement

  4:00

• Paid Licenses

  2:21

• Royalty-Free Licenses

  1:49

• Open Source

  5:39

• Open Source

  3 questions

• Creative Commons

  5:18

• Licensing and You

  2:04

• Licensing

  5 questions

Protecting and Sharing Your Work

It's quite possible to share your work freely on the web while also protecting your copyright. Let's learn about formally registering your copyright, the proper way to write copyright notices, what to do when someone breaks your licensing terms, and some things to consider when sharing online.

Chevron 6 steps

• How to Register Your Copyright

  5:16

• How to Write a Copyright Notice

  3:16

• Sharing Your Work

  7:01

• Sending a DMCA Takedown Notice

  6:45

• Protecting and Sharing Your Work

  5 questions

• Don't Worry

  3:24