Copyright vs. Copyleft
Published: 2022-10-31 13:08:32

**Being a creator, duplication or stealing                                         of work is continually a risk, isn’t it ? ☠️**  


![Copyright vs. Copyleft](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/4y7ctowm754sjrd50n78.jpg)

Such hazards can simply be avoided utilising numerous extraordinary protections or [Intellectual Property](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property) Rights available!

**To list a few** [Rights](https://stfrancislaw.com/blog/intellectual-property-rights/#:~:text=There%20are%20four%20main%20types,%2C%20copyrights%2C%20and%20trade%20secrets.)**:**
- **Patents**
- **Domain names**
- **Industrial design**
- **Confidential information**
- **Inventions**
- **Moral rights**
- **Database rights**
- **Works of authorship**
- **Service marks**
- **Logos**
- **Trademarks**
- **Design rights**
- **Business or trade names**
- **Commercial secrets**

_As an instance, Engineers issue patents for their inventions, Bloggers issue DMCA Takedown notices, developers use appropriate software program licenses, users use Copyright or Copyleft licences and BLAH-BLAH-BLAH!_

### One of the most broadly used approach is [Copyright](https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html).              

Copyright enables the creator to have a legal right to dictate whether or not his authentic work may be duplicated. The creator additionally has the rights to take legal moves if his work is discovered copied or altered through others without the creator’s permission. However, once you’ve protected your work with copyright, you can’t disclaim that right totally or add it to the public domain. Unauthorised utilisation of original work that is protected by Copyright is termed as [Copyright Infringement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_infringement). Restricting users from unauthorised copying, altering, or selling of the creator’s unique work is the primary motive behind Copyright.

### [Types of Copyright](https://www.bmi.com/faq/entry/what_are_the_different_types_of_copyright):

![Copyright](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/nv2r67elzv3n9iz5qmd0.png)
- **Public Performing Right**
- **Public Performance License**
- **Reproduction Right**
- **Mechanical License**
- **Synchronisation License** 

 
### On the other hand, [Copyleft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyleft) is just the reverse of Copyright.                  

It promotes the technique of making any work reusable and modifiable without restrictions. Copyleft supports the intension of the [Open-source movement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source-software_movement), that emphasises the idea of collaboration. However, the most remarkable thing about copyleft licenses is that they require users to distribute by-product works beneath the same license that gives them the identical rights as the actual work. For instance, assume a developer releases a source code having a copyleft license. Being a user, you have the rights to download, alter and share the code to whomsoever you need according to your desire, but you’d also have to permit anyone else to download, alter and share the code to whomsoever they want. This is termed as [“share-alike”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Share-alike#:~:text=Share%2Dalike%20(%F0%9F%84%8E)%20is,similar%20license%20as%20the%20original.) Clause. Therefore, Copyleft guarantees that not only the original work is free, but that all modifications must also be made free for different users.

### [Types of Copyleft](https://tldrlegal.com/licenses/tags/Copyleft):

- **GNU GPL (for software)**
- **Creative Commons SA (Share Alike)                                                   licenses (for works of art).**
- **Mozilla Public License 2.0**
- **Eclipse Public License 1.0**
- **Microsoft Reciprocal License**

It’s usual to wonder how Copyleft is far distinct from Copyright, but to all intents and purposes, Copyleft utilises Copyright to make sure that the authentic works stays free. Copyright regulation enthrones the rights to the owner of the work in order to control all reproduction, modification, and use of the copyrighted material, whereas Copyleft utilises this regulation to impose freedom of use and provide upcoming users to alter, distribute, and use the work as per their wish. 

**While Copyright limits freedom, Copyleft imposes freedom on all subsequent works! 🛡️**

**_~ Pallavi Gaikwad_**