Knowledge Commons Works (KC Works) is a self-deposit open access repository. Anything that is deposited to the Commons is openly available to users worldwide, unless the files are set to restricted status. To use our service you must ensure that you hold the copyright to the work you are depositing. The World International Property Organization defines copyright as:
“Copyright (or author’s right) is a legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their literary and artistic works. Works covered by copyright range from books, music, paintings, sculpture, and films, to computer programs, databases, advertisements, maps, and technical drawings.” [WIPO.int]
As the creator or co-creator of the article, essay, object, podcast, or other work you hold the copyright unless the work was created for another entity, such as a publisher or organization.
Note: While our user base is worldwide, the Knowledge Commons platform is housed by the College of Arts and Letters at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. In some cases we will reference US copyright law, where we are based. If you have more specific questions about copyright in your nation you should consult your local laws and guidelines. Librarians may be helpful in navigating more specific questions on copyright, and many research libraries may have copyright librarians on staff.
Permissions
A few things to keep in mind as you prepare to deposit your work:
- If you are depositing unpublished work that you created you own the copyright.
- One exception to this is if the work was created specifically for someone else as a “work for hire.”
- Even if the work was never published, the entity you created the work for still holds the copyright and you will need permission to publish it. [More on “work for hire” in US copyright law on Wikipedia.]
- If you have created the work with others, you should have permission from your co-creators to deposit the work.
- If your work was published you may still be allowed to publish your preprint in an open access repository:
- Policies vary by publisher and journal. Look up the journal or publisher name in the SHERPA-RoMEO database to find out its policies covering archiving and deposit.
- If you wish to deposit a book chapter or a monograph, please check your agreement with the publisher. To negotiate a more open contract with a publisher, check out Scholar’s Copyright Addendum Engine, which can pre-populate an addendum to your agreement.
- You can also use a Google search to location information by using this query:
- site:https://publisherswebsiteaddress.com/* “author rights”
- Works that contain unpublished material created by others:
- “Copyright in an unpublished work lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years (in the United States). If the author (or the author’s death date) is unknown or if the author is a corporate body, then the term is 120 years from the creation date for the work. Therefore much unpublished material in archives or manuscript collections is likely to still be under copyright.” [archivists.org]
- If you are drawing from archival material you may need to consult the author’s estate or representative.
Licenses
Many times you hear the term “license” when referring to copyright. In the US to assert full copyright not allowing any derivative works, commercial use, replication, or translation without permission is designated “all rights reserved.” On open access repositories you can assert “all rights reserved,” but more commonly works are published with a Creative Commons or other open license. Our repository offers a number of open licenses to choose from, which are described below. We cannot advise you which license to pick, and licenses are irrevocable. Once you publish with an open license you cannot go back retroactively and assert “all rights reserved” or change to a more restrictive license. Your work may have already been used and cited by others, and to do so could open them up to legal action. Think carefully when choosing a license.
Recommended Licenses
These licenses are commonly used in the open access / open source community. We cannot recommend a specific license for your work, however one of these may fit your needs.
Apache License 2.0: A permissive license whose main conditions require preservation of copyright and license notices. Contributors provide an express grant of patent rights. Licensed works, modifications, and larger works may be distributed under different terms and without source code. This is commonly used for code and software.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International: The Creative Commons Attribution license allows re-distribution and re-use of a licensed work on the condition that the creator is appropriately credited.
Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 4.0 International: Permits almost any use subject to providing credit and license notice. Frequently used for media assets and educational materials. The most common license for Open Access scientific publications. Not recommended for software.
Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial: The Creative Commons Attribution license allows re-distribution and re-use of a licensed work on the condition that the creator is appropriately credited and the work is not used in a commercial product or sold to others.
Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives: Permits re-distribution and re-use of a licensed work on the condition that the creator is appropriately credited and it is not remixed or used for a derivative work.
Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal: CC0 waives copyright interest in a work you’ve created and dedicates it to the world-wide public domain. Use CC0 to opt out of copyright entirely and ensure your work has the widest reach.
GNU General Public License v3.0 or later: Permissions of this strong copyleft license are conditioned on making available complete source code of licensed works and modifications, which include larger works using a licensed work, under the same license. Copyright and license notices must be preserved. Contributors provide an express grant of patent rights.
MIT License: A short and simple permissive license with conditions only requiring preservation of copyright and license notices. Licensed works, modifications, and larger works may be distributed under different terms and without source code.
Other Licenses of Note
All Rights Reserved: From Wikipedia: “‘All rights reserved’ is a phrase that originated in copyright law as part of copyright notices. It indicates that the copyright holder reserves, or holds for their own use, all the rights provided by copyright law, such as distribution, performance, and creation of derivative works; that is, they have not waived any such right.” Anyone wishing to use, build upon, translate, or otherwise remix your work must seek your permission. This is not recommended in open access publishing.
Other Creative Commons Licenses: Creative Commons licenses are widely used in open access publishing for written or creative works. They have created a “License Chooser” to help you determine what license would be appropriate for your needs.