Because issues surrounding copyright and fair use are complex, we've provided some background on vocabulary terms and concepts that are used throughout our lessons on Creative Credit & Copyright.

Creative Work: Any idea or artistic creation that is recorded in some form, whether it's hard copy or digital.

* As a creator, you've probably written, photographed, filmed, or made many artistic creations throughout your life. Any idea you put down - whether it's your best idea or not, and whether it's in hard copy form or not - counts as creative work.

*Examples: pieces of writing (books, poems, papers, articles, blogs, reviews, etc.), photos, videos, music, websites, online profiles, and artworks.

Copyright: A law that protects your control over the creative work you make so that people must get your permission before they copy, share, or perform your work.

* When you have an idea and record it, it's instantly copyrighted. You have the right to decide how others use your creative work. Nobody else can pretend it's theirs - or copy, share, or perform your work without your permission. Copyright makes sure you get credit for your work.

* It does not matter if a work is in hard copy or digital form, it is still copyrighted.

* All recorded work is automatically copyrighted, even if it doesn't have the "c" copyrighted symbol. Registering your work with the U.S. Copyright Office isn't necessary, but it makes it easier for legal protection.

* Ideas, common knowledge and facts, U.S. government documents, works in the public domain, and spontaneous acts of expression aren't copyrighted.

* If someone wants to use a copyrighted work, unless it says otherwise, they have to first get permission from the creator. To get permission, you can email, call, or write a letter to the creator. The University of Texas has a thorough explanation of how to get permission. (The only exceptions to this are fair use, public domain, and Creative Commons.)

Creative Commons: A kind of copyright that makes it easier for people to copy, share, and build on your creative work, as long as they give you credit for it.

* The key here is that a regular copyright is an "all rights reserved" model, and Creative Commons is a newer, "some rights reserved" model more suitable for online sharing. If someone uses a Creative Commons license, they are allowing for more flexibility with their copyrighted work to be copied and shared.

* There are different kinds of Creative Commons licenses that allow people to do things such as change, remix, or make money from your work. You pick and choose how you want your work to be used, and then create a Creative Commons license that you include in your work.

License: A clear way to define the copyright of your creative work so people know how it can be used.

* Just like you need a license to drive a car, when you have a copyright license, this tells people how they have permission to use your copyrighted work. You might use a regular copyright license, or you might use a Creative Commons license.

* Some creators charge a "license fee" to others who want to use their copyrighted work, which helps them get credit and make money from the usage.

Piracy: Stealing copyrighted work by downloading or copying it in order to keep, sell, or give it away without permission and without paying.

* Piracy includes illegally downloading, copying, and sharing creative works such as music, movies, games, and software by using peer-to-peer sharing websites and programs that "rip" content.

*To avoid unintentional piracy, use trusted online sites to purchase content. You can also find sites that allow you to get content for free. See Mashable's list of music that is free and legal.

Plagiarize: Copying, "lifting," or making slight changes to some or all of someone else's work and saying you created it.

*Plagiarism is a huge problem in schools. If you copy, paste, or change a few words of something and say that you wrote it, it is still plagiarism.

* To avoid plagiarism, be sure to say things in your own words, cite direct quotes by using quotation marks, and acknowledge the authors' ideas you discuss by giving them credit.

Public domain: Creative work that's not copyrighted and therefore free for you to use however you want.

* Copyrights don't last forever. In most cases, they expire 70 years after the death of the creator. So things that are hundreds of years old are not copyrighted anymore.

* There are many creative works available in the public domain that you might not know about. When searching for photos, music, artwork, and video, look for ones that are in the public domain.

Fair use: The ability to use a small amount of copyrighted work without permission, but only in certain ways and in specific situations (schoolwork and education, news reporting, criticizing or commenting on something, and comedy/parody).

* Fair use can only be applied in certain situations and certain ways (using a small amount - not the whole thing, adding new meaning and making it original, or reworking and using material in a different way).

* You should be able to defend that something is fair use by making sure it falls under the specific situations allowed and is used in approved ways.