Open Educational Resources are - by definition - free for use. However, there are some important specifics to know about how OER can be used (edited/shared/repurposed). Some agreements allow users to share, edit, and modify open content while others are very stringent and only allow for sharing with no modifications. Depending on how you want to use an OER (edit, share, modify), it is important to understand your permissions and restrictions.
Specific types of licenses for OER include the following:
Creative Commons - Creative Commons licenses are the most common for OER. Includes all media types.
Public Domain - Works not protected by Copyright Law (no license). Includes books, images, documents, videos, and other material types.
GNU Public License - Licensing agreements for open software.
Some Common Usage Guidelines:
The Bottom Line: When you find a image/text/video/other material that you would like to post/share/edit/modify, look for the "Usage Rights", "Terms of Use", or "Copyright" information (NOTE: This is sometimes found on OER directories/search engines and other times on the individual items in a collection).
