U.S. Copyright law is meant to "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries" (United States Constitution, Article I, Section 8). Copyright law does this by protecting a copyright holder's rights to control reproduction, adaptation, distribution, public performance, public display, and digital transmission of sound recordings (Simpson, 2010). How copyright law affects those of us in schools isn't always straightforward though. Below are a list of resources that can help you understand copyright basics, public domain, fair use, and Creative Commons.