Copyright VS Copyleft

Having been in the creative industry before, copyright is an important concept to know in the world of IP.

Copyright exists to protect the original material form in which they are expressed or fixed, not the ideas, facts or information themselves. So, seek permission from the owners of these forms of creations to get rights clearance, be it, music, publications, artwork, photographs, videos etc before using them, especially if you are for-profit reasons. Relying on fair use defense doctrine requires a risk-based approach. Be prepared to pay a licensing fee (royalty fee) for usage of these materials. Pay per usage allows authorized use or distribution of the work. Finding the tangible form/materials on the internet does not mean it’s a public resource and free to us, be sure to exercise discretion of use.

Whilst copyrights seek to protect and impose restriction on unauthorized use so that it encourages creations and innovations, copyleft works somehow opposite to the concept of copyright – it allows copying, distribution, modification of the work (under certain condition though which needs to comply with the copyleft licensing terms) and encourages collaborations. It applies mainly in the software industry and open-source projects. It emphasizes collaborative sharing and free distribution of the software.

Important concepts for both the above – the former seeking a person or entity taking control of the work whilst the latter, fostering a community-driven approach. The goal is to balance the rights of creators with the freedom of users by encouraging distributing the source codes and facilitating collaborations.