Benefits of AEShareNet licences for copyright owners
This page focuses on the benefits of the AEShareNet licences to assist owners to choose a licence for their materials. It should be read in conjunction with the Licensing Overview which provides a general introduction to the licences.
There are two types of AEShareNet licences:
Instant licences
- can be applied by any copyright owner
- material can be used by anyone
- very easy for owners - just download and apply the mark to your work, no cost, no fuss
- very easy for users - no need for a transaction
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)
- most material can be requested by anyone
- owners have a great deal of control over licence conditions – who can take out a licence and the extent of changes that can be made to it
- records of all licences transacted are stored
- substantial savings on administration of commercial licences as all licence fees and royalties from all users are collected and settled into a single statement.
Descriptions below:
AEShareNet-FfE - Free for Education
Material with the AEShareNet Free for Education mark may be freely used and copied for educational purposes as defined on the AEShareNet website 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.
What are the benefits to me of licensing under FfE?
- no costs involved in using the FfE Mark and it can be easily downloaded from our website
- provides a quick and easy way to make some of your materials available for educational use, without worrying about complex copyright issues
- alleviates the need to respond to educational organisations asking for copyright clearances and thus saves money
- clarifies what an educational organisation can do with the material
- provides access for educational purposes without giving it away to everyone
- displays good corporate citizenship by your organisation.
- is a way of marketing your organisation through educational use of your brand
- can be a lead to other business opportunities with users of your free for education material.
For more information on AEShareNet-FfE go to www.aesharenet.com.au/FfE2/
AEShareNet-U - Unlocked Content
Material with the AEShareNet-U mark may be freely copied, adapted and used by anyone. 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.
What are the benefits to me of licensing under U?
- no costs involved in using the U Mark and it can be easily downloaded from our website
- ensures the widest possible use of your material
- advertises your services and capabilities by making selected material available for free.
- makes material available without being responsible for the manner of its use and without any administrative overheads of responding to requests for copyright permissions, and negotiating and formalising licences.
For more information on AEShareNet-U go to www.aesharenet.com.au/U4/
AEShareNet-S – Share and Return
Material may be used and enhanced by anyone free of charge but copyright in the enhancements consolidates with the owner.
What are the benefits to me of licensing under S?
- no costs involved in using the S Mark and it can be easily downloaded from our website
- your work gets used as widely as possible
- you can reuse the value added work of others
- creates a continuous improvement process
- your reputation as a materials producer is enhanced and more widely known
- you can offer other wrap around/value add services for a fee to support the usage of your initial materials.
For government agencies this facilitates the objective of ensuring that publicly funded material is widely available and is able to be adapted and maintained.
Developers of learning resources can advertise their expertise in an area by listing resources they have developed under an S licence and get the benefit of incorporating changes and improvements made by other users into material they own This could assist in growing the pool of materials available nationally, and reducing the costs of duplication of effort.
For more information on AEShareNet-S go to www.aesharenet.com.au/S4/
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.
What are the benefits to me of licensing under P?
- no costs involved in using the P Mark and it can be easily downloaded from our website
- makes material widely available while ensuring that it is not modified
- saves time, staff resources and legal costs in responding to requests for copyright permissions, and negotiating and formalising licences
- enhances your reputation as a producer of quality curriculum.
For more information on AEShareNet-P go to www.aesharenet.com.au/P4/
AEShareNet-C – Commercial Licence
License conditions can be customised by the owner and a Licence Fee and/or Royalties may be charged. Can only be used as mediated licence as part of the AEShareNet licensing system. Typical use: learning resources.
What are the benefits to me of licensing under C?
- allows charging which can be any combination of an up-front fee and royalties
- optionally allows full control over who can take out a licence for a particular material
- allows full control over what licensees can do with your material
- allows negotiation with each potential licensee if desired
- substantial savings on administration of commercial licences as all licences fees and royalties from all licences are consolidated into a single quarterly statement.
For more information on AEShareNet-C go to www.aesharenet.com.au/C/
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. Can only be used as a mediated licence as part of the AEShareNet system. Typical uses: software, multimedia products or multiple copies.
What are the benefits to me of licensing under E?
- provides the opportunity to itemise supply options for a range of licence related products and services
- provides a flexible structure for itemising various components of a supply and usage package (eg, per copy or per CPU charges, annual support fee, 10-user licence)
- allows flexibility in pricing structure but a clear standard set of rights
- allows charging to be based on usage but does not require negotiation. The owner specifies the parameters and their corresponding charges and the licensee selects the options and specifies details (eg number of users, address for site licence) at the time of transaction
- substantial savings on administration of commercial licences as all licences fees and royalties from all users are consolidated into a single quarterly statement
For more information on AEShareNet-E go to www.aesharenet.com.au/E/
More information
- Licensing Overview provides an introduction to the various AEShareNet licences.
- Applying AEShareNet marks describes how to apply the licence marks to your web pages or documents.
- 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.