The Creative Commons, or “Commonly Creative”
By Cheryl Davis
“Artists are constantly riffing and expanding upon the images and ideas that they see and hear around them. But as a general matter of copyright law, only the person who creates the work has the right to copy and/or use it. Does that mean that when you quote something written by another writer, or sample music for your score, or incorporate someone else’s artwork into your design, you’re infringing their copyright? Does it mean that no one can ever use your work without your permission? What if you find it on the Internet—isn’t that free for public use? The lawyerly answer is: ‘It depends.'”
Link to article: http://howlround.com/the-creative-commons-or-commonly-creative