Authors Alliance

Center for Media and Social Impact Fair Use Best Practices Guides

The Center for Media and Social Impact releases “Best Practices” guides designed to help communities of creators and specialists in how U.S. copyright’s “fair use” doctrine applies to uses typical in a given community. Guides exist for diverse fields and communities, including documentary filmmaking, open courseware, poetry, and for academic libraries.

Principles and Proposals for Copyright Reform

We believe it is high time for authors like us to speak up for a “Next Great Copyright Act” that will carry forward the Founders’ vision of copyright and meet its goals in the digital age. We believe that these reform proposals will help renew the nation’s commitment to a copyright law that secures a just balance between private ambitions and the public good.

To this end, we propose four principles that should guide copyright law and appropriately align the interests of individual creators with the interests of the public for whom they create, and state a number of proposals to help see these principles realized.

Creative Commons License Picker

Creative Commons licenses come in various flavors, but each provide for at least two key things: the ability for others to make copies of the work, and the requirement that any subsequent copies or uses of the work credit the author. Beyond that, use this tool to select what license works for your needs.

Michael Carroll on Author Addenda

Founding Authors Alliance member Michael Carroll, from American University’s Washington College of Law, explains how addenda can help modify publishing

Lydia Loren on Semaphore Press

Authors Alliance Founding Member Lydia Loren from Lewis and Clark Law School explains how her publishing company, Semaphore Press, is

Why I Joined: Paul Courant

Authors Alliance is always seeking new members to join its community. Advisory Board member Paul Courant explains below why he

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