Rights & Licensing
Understanding copyright, licensing, and permissions for convention booklets
About Copyright & Licensing
Convention booklets (conbooks) are creative works that may be protected by copyright. The Furry Con Archives respects the rights of copyright holders while working to preserve these important historical documents for the furry community.
Each document in our archive may have different licensing terms. We display the license information provided by the copyright holder or convention organizers for each document.
Creative Commons Licenses
Many convention booklets are released under Creative Commons (CC) licenses, which allow for various levels of sharing and reuse. Here's what each license means:
CC0
Public Domain Dedication
The work is dedicated to the public domain. You can use it for any purpose without restrictions.
CC BY
Attribution
You must give credit to the creator. You can use, modify, and distribute the work.
CC BY-SA
Attribution-ShareAlike
You must give credit and license derivatives under the same terms.
CC BY-ND
Attribution-NoDerivs
You must give credit. You cannot modify the work, but you can distribute it.
CC BY-NC
Attribution-NonCommercial
You must give credit. You cannot use the work for commercial purposes.
CC BY-NC-SA
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
You must give credit, cannot use commercially, and must share derivatives under the same terms.
CC BY-NC-ND
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs
Most restrictive. You must give credit, cannot use commercially, and cannot modify.
Understanding License Components
Creative Commons licenses are built from four core components:
- Attribution (BY): You must credit the original creator
- ShareAlike (SA): Derivatives must be shared under the same license
- NoDerivs (ND): You cannot modify or adapt the work
- NonCommercial (NC): You cannot use the work for commercial purposes
Learn more: Visit creativecommons.org for detailed information about each license.
No License & Fair Use
Not all documents in the archive have explicit licensing information. When a document does not specify a license, the copyright holder retains all rights to the work. However, this does not mean the work cannot be used at all.
Fair Use Doctrine
In the United States, the fair use doctrine allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission under certain circumstances. Fair use typically applies to:
- Educational purposes: Teaching, scholarship, and research
- Criticism and commentary: Discussing or analyzing the work
- News reporting: Reporting on current events
- Transformative works: Creating new works that significantly transform the original
Important: Fair use is a legal doctrine, not a license. Whether a specific use qualifies as fair use depends on factors like the purpose, nature, amount, and effect of the use. When in doubt, seek permission from the copyright holder or consult with a lawyer.
Our Approach
The Furry Con Archives preserves these documents for historical, educational, and cultural purposes. We believe preservation and access serve the broader interests of the furry community and deserve consideration under fair use doctrine. However, we respect copyright holders' rights and will:
- Remove documents if requested by the copyright holder
- Provide attribution and source information whenever possible
- Prioritize documents with explicit open licenses
- Work with copyright holders to properly license historical documents
Have questions about rights? Please refer to our Preservation Policy for more information and contact details.
Other Licenses
Beyond Creative Commons licenses, documents in the archive may be released under various other licensing arrangements or retain traditional copyright protection.
All Rights Reserved
The copyright holder retains all rights. Standard copyright protection applies without explicit license.
Permission Granted
The copyright holder has explicitly granted permission for archival, preservation, and community sharing.
Custom License
Documents may have unique licensing terms created specifically by the copyright holder.
Questions About Rights?
If you have questions about the rights or licensing of a specific document, or if you are a copyright holder and need to update licensing information, please see our Preservation Policy page for contact information and takedown procedures.
We are committed to respecting copyright while preserving these important historical documents for future generations of the furry community.