Image with a continuum line. Copyright is on the left, public domain on the right and creative commons in the middle.

Fortunately, we live in a time when there are options besides traditional copyright and public domain. Creative Commons is an alternative to those two extremes: creators can determine the specific uses of their materials, making it easy for users to use them appropriately. These are "openly licensed" resources, the whole purpose of OER commons website. We can update the copyright continuum with this new licensing. 

This video can explain more about the Commons: https://vimeo.com/13590841

This page lists all the types of licenses: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/licensing-types-examples/

Start here to learn how to Choose a License: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/