ABOUT COPYLEFT

          A copyleft license indicates that every owner of the work has the right to use it without limitation, (re)distribute it to any extent, and modify it in any way.  Additionally, the copyleft license requires that every derivation of the work also be covered under the same terms. Copyleft licenses may also include provisions to assure that the conditions of the license cannot be revoked.

      In the case of software, a copyleft license may require that the work, and its derivations, always be available in a format that facilitates modification.  For example, it may be required that the source code for a program be provided in a fully-accessible form. 

        The types of copyleft licenses differ from country to country, as each has its own rules

concerning copyright and intellectual property.  In each country, a copyleft license must be

specifically tailored to work creatively within the constraints of that country’s law.  One type of

license that is used in Europe, for example, is the CeCILL License. 

CURRENT STATE OF COPYLEFT    

       The current state of copyleft is characterized by several trends and developments. Version 2, the current version of the General Public License, was finalized in June, 1991. Currently, the Free Software Foundation is working on version 3 as part of its GPL Version 3 Development and Publicity Project.  Additionally, several other variations of the GPL have been introduced in the years since the first was created, each serving a particular purpose and containing different specifications for protections and rights regarding a work.  Examples include the GNU Lesser General Public License (which succeeded the GNU Library General Public

License) and the GNU Free Documentation License (which is used by Wikipedia). 

        Beyond software, the idea of copyleft has been extended to other areas, including the arts. In diverse ways, organizations such as Creative Commons, open-source record labels, and the Libre Society are promoting the use of licenses with copyleft components and making it easier for individuals to copyleft their works.   

       Another emerging trend is the creation of open-source record labels that release music under copyleft licenses, allowing collaborative work and redistribution without the restrictions of copyright.  These labels are formed and supported by people who believe that the reappropriation and reinterpretation of music is fundamental and necessary for its continued evolution. Some examples of open-source record labels include Krayola Records, Magnatune, and Opsound. (https://www.msu.edu/~dinkgra2/copyleft-dinkgrave.pdf?q=copyleft)

COPYLEFT VS. COPYRIGHT

• CopyLeft is the same as Copyright in the sense that the legal process starts the same: by copyrighting a product, software, or document
• The difference is introduced by adding a specific license to the copyright that places restrictions on the future usages of the copyrighted product
• Ironically, these restrictions have the ability to categorize the product as 'free'
• CopyLeft is essentially the opposite process of making products free to users, whereas Copyright tries to restrict freedom by making software proprietary.

EXAMPLES OF COPYLEFT

• Copyleft is now widely used to CopyLeft software such as Mozilla Firefox, Java, and OpenOffice.
• http://sourceforge.net/ contains a large variety of computer software that has been CopyLefted to constitute as free software.  

copyleft in the music industry cover of Girl Talk's album 'All Day'

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF COPYLEFT

Advantages: 

• CopyLeft software and open content are usually free of charge and have lower consulting fees compared with proprietary software
• After purchasing a CopyLefted program, you have the right to customize it your company’s needs

• Modified software that is upgraded and updated by the developer community is available to your company

• Since CopyLefted software is available, Copyrighted software has to compete in price and efficiency 

Disadvantage: 

• Customized software cannot be claimed as one’s own and the source code must always be attached when being distributed

• CopyLeft laws are complex and full of legal terms, which deters some companies from using CopyLefted software

• CopyLeft forces future usages of the products to remain free and open to the community to modify

• The original author of the product may have a conflict with the future uses of the original product.

(http://e107copyleft.blogspot.com/p/future-of-copyleft.html)

CONCLUSION

       Copyleft is not a new idea, but with the growing opportunities for it to expand its reach through the Internet, it is still young, and much could still change.  Internet-based organizations such as Creative Commons are trying to facilitate creators of original works in securing that the rights to their works are protected and that others can easily understand what they can do with these works.  They accomplish this by offering a variety of different standard licenses that users can modify.  Other organizations take a different approach to copyleft, sometimes through more radical expression in the forms of “culture jamming,” or through a more “peaceful” approach, such as the open source movement.  Likely, these divisions within the copyleft community will continue to grow and expand on their own, sharing some basic ideas, but being very different in other areas.  
(https://www.msu.edu/~dinkgra2/copyleft-dinkgrave.pdf?q=copyleft)