Copyright and Scholarly Publishing - Copyright aims to promote creativity and progress in science and the arts by granting creators a temporary monopoly on their work [5] - Copyright protection is immediate upon creation and fixation in a tangible form [7] - Copyright terms have significantly increased from 14 years to 70 years after the author's death, or 95 years for corporate/anonymous works [8] - Scholarly publishers often do not pay authors, even though the same institutions that funded the research may need to pay for access to the published articles [12][13] - Access to scholarly information is often temporary and licensed, unlike owning a physical book [15][16] First Amendment and Access to Information - Access to scholarly information is limited by the expense, which impacts the First Amendment right to information and restricts voices [4][19] - Copyright exceptions, such as fair use, attempt to balance the restriction of rights with the goal of encouraging creation [20][24] - Fair use considers the nature of the work, the purpose of the use, the amount used, and the impact on the author's market [25] Open Access and Creative Commons - Open access and Creative Commons licenses allow authors to pre-authorize use of their work within copyright law, promoting wider dissemination [28] - Creative Commons licenses require attribution but allow authors to set other restrictions, enabling retention, reuse, remixing, and redistribution [29][30] - Individuals should recognize their right to information and consider contributing to the ecosystem of creation through open licenses [31][32]