The average reading level for Terms of Service is that of a college sophomore!

Copyright law, once primarily the domain of publishers and lawyers, is now relevant to anyone with an Internet connection and a “share” button. However, it is also one of the most confusing and subjective parts of the law, especially as policies struggle to keep up with developing technology and practices. How do people make decisions every day about how they can share and reuse content online? How does what people know (and don’t know) about the law affect their online interactions and technology use? In this research project we have looked to content analyses of Terms of Service and public conversations about copyright, as well as surveys and interviews with content creators. We have found evidence of chilling effects caused by misinformation online, complex social norms formed in the absence of clear legal rules, and ignorance of copyright policies and the terms you “click to agree” to online. Confusing policies and competing stakeholders create a complicated design space for online communities of creative production. Confusions and lack of knowledge about copyright is a pervasive usability problem worthy of our attention within HCI.