A free or “copyleft” license is a legal document that is designed to explicitly encourage sharing and reuse. If not for the use of free licenses, most of the open education initiatives of interest to COLT simply wouldn’t exist.
The concept of a free license first arose in the 1970s, when computer programmers were frustrated by policies that made it difficult to collaborate. These programmers stated, in a way that was both understandable and legally binding, that they preferred to see their work reused, and would not defend their copyright as long as a few simple provisions were observed. Making this statement a founding principle of a software development project eliminated the time-consuming and mind-numbing negotiations that might have otherwise been necessary, to ensure that everyone’s intellectual property rights were fully protected.
Free licenses have become a part of everyday life. We use free and open source software like the Firefox web browser, and often unknowingly use products based on open source software (for instance, the software that runs this web site); free content projects like Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap, which broadly invite participation, inform our daily lives; and interactive network software including wikis, blogs, and email lists have become an integral part of how we learn and teach, both formally and informally. The vibrant learning communities that have emerged are largely independent of formal education, but their workings offer a wealth of insights and learning opportunities.
The non-profit organization Creative Commons has been an important driver in extending the concept of a free license to cover more than just computer code. It maintains a suite of licenses suitable for content like written documents, music recordings, and photographs. Wikipedia and most OER projects are heavily reliant on the level and clearly-defined foundation that a free license provides.
Content generated within COLT generally uses the Creative Commons Attribution license. Projects and initiatives studied within the COLT network, however, may involve any number of similar licenses.
Read more about the Creative Commons family of licenses.
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