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Scholarly Communication

OU Libraries guides scholars in matters relating to scholarly communication, which we define as the formal and informal ways research and scholarly works are created, evaluated, disseminated, preserved, used, and transformed.

Copyright & Licensing statements

The use of the copyright notice is the responsibility of the copyright owner and does not require advance permission from, or registration with, the Copyright Office.

The copyright notice should contain the following three elements:

  • The symbol © (the letter in a circle), or the word "Copyright" and
  • The year of the first publication of the work and
  • The name of the owner of the copyright.

Example: © 2024 Jane Doe  or  Copyright 2024 Jane Doe

 

CREATIVE COMMONS 
 You may also choose to include a Creative Commons License, which allows you to tell others specific ways they may reuse your work without seeking your permission first. You still retain full copyright. 

Example: CC BY-NC

ccbync.png

This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. CC BY-NC includes the following elements:

  •  BY: credit must be given to the creator.
  •  NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.

To learn more, view the Creative Commons guide or schedule a copyright consultation with the Scholarly Communications Librarian. 

 

Registering your copyrighted work

You may choose to register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office. Registration is not required to claim copyright, but a copyright holder will have greater chances of claiming damages if a registered work is infringed. Creators of creative works commonly choose to register their works. 

Visit the U.S. Copyright Office's website to learn more and start the registration process.