Licensing overview
The AEShareNet licensing system simplifies and streamlines the licensing of learning materials through a series of standard licence conditions called “licence protocols”. All AEShareNet licences are built on a common heading structure. Some protocols allow negotiation and customisation of conditions for an individual material or licensee and others do not.
The owner of the material decides under which protocol(s) the material is offered to potential users.
Owners of copyright material should read this page in conjunction with Benefits of AEShareNet licences for copyright owners which explains the benefits of the various licences.
This page is a simplified description, for a more detailed comparison refer to the Short Licence Comparison Table.
Note: both this page and the Short Licence Comparison Table are intended as a general guide. For the full legal details refer to the Full Licence Comparison Table.
Two types of AEShareNet licences
Instant licences
- Can be offered by any copyright owner by attaching the relevant mark to material they own.
- Material can be used by anyone subject to the conditions of the licence.
- Do not require any transaction – simply use the material.
Descriptions below:
- AEShareNet-FfE – Free for Education
- AEShareNet-U – Unlocked Content
- AEShareNet-S – Share and Return
- AEShareNet-P – Preserve Integrity
Mediated licences
- Can only be offered by members of AEShareNet (anyone can join).
- Owners have a great deal of control over licence conditions, who can take out a licence and the amount and type of charges for supply and use of the material.
- Details of all licences transacted are stored by the AEShareNet licensing system.
- Substantial savings on administration of commercial licences as all licences fees and royalties from all licences are consolidated into a single quarterly statement for both owners and users who take out commercial licences.
Descriptions below:
Instant Licences
AEShareNet-FfE - Free for Education
Material
with the AEShareNet Free for Education mark may be freely used and
copied for educational purposes but the owner retains full control of its
use for any other purposes.
The FfE mark can be applied to any material, this could include government information, company fact sheets, checklists, technical specifications, marketing materials and content on a publicly accessible website.
For more information see the AEShareNet-FfE page.
AEShareNet-U – Unlocked Content
Material
with the AEShareNet-U mark may be freely copied, adapted and used
by anyone. Exact copies must retain the owner’s copyright statement
and the AEShareNet-U mark. Enhancements must not
contain the owner’s copyright statement and may have a new copyright
statement by the Licensee.
Intended for situations where the owner does not require acknowledgement as the original source of the content and there is no requirement to maintain a consolidated version. Examples might include checklists and guidelines which can be freely adapted for an organisation’s own circumstances; or professional development materials.
For more information see the AEShareNet-U page.
AEShareNet-S – Share and Return
Material
may be used and enhanced by anyone free of charge but copyright in published
enhancements consolidates with the original owner. Fragmentation of ownership
of different versions is reduced by having a single licensor whose maintenance
of the material is facilitated by them owning enhancement made by other users.
Typical uses would be learning resources.
For more information see the AEShareNet-S page.
AEShareNet-P – Preserve Integrity
The
material may be freely copied but only in its original form including the
owner’s copyright notice. Typical uses would be for policy documents,
research reports, speeches, curriculum documents and Training Packages, technical
standards, statistical information and data sets, and statutory notices. Suitable
for any material which needs to be widely available but for which a single
authoritative and accurate version is required.
For more information see the AEShareNet-P page.
Mediated Licences
AEShareNet-C – Commercial Licence
License
conditions can be customised by the owner and a Licence Fee and/or Royalties
may be charged. In other words the owner can set down exactly what a licensee
can and cannot do in terms of adaptation, duration of licence and where it
can be used. Typical uses would be learning resources.
For more information see the AEShareNet-C page.
AEShareNet-E - End-user Licence
Intended
for materials to be used on an as-is basis. An E licence can be taken out
by an individual to use the material themselves, or by an organisation for
use within the organisation including by an educational organisation for use
by students. Within the E licence it is possible to itemise a whole range
of individual deliverables including copies of CDROMs and Training support
courses for information. Typical uses include software and multi media resources
or for multiple copies.
For more information see the AEShareNet-E page.
More information
For more information on AEShareNet licensing, please see the following pages:
- Short Licence Comparison Table a more detailed comparison of AEShareNet licence protocols.
- Full Licence Comparison Table full legal details of AEShareNet licence protocols.
- Licence Glossary & Explanation defines terms used in all of the 6 licences.
- Derivative works and AEShareNet licences
- Moral rights and AEShareNet licences
- Why improve licensed materials?