Although open access increases the availability of materials for people to use, it does not mean works available through open access repositories are necessarily without copyright protection (Crews, p. 42).
Open-access policies differ significantly depending on the institution, funding body, and publisher requirements. For example, inclusion in PubMed Central (PMC) is required for works funded through the National Institutes of Health. Other organizations with similar policies include the Wellcome Trust (Crews, p. 67). Supported by the University of Southampton, the Registry of Open Access Repository Mandates and Policies (ROARMAP) provides information on such policies.
Crews, K. D. (2020). Copyright law for librarians and educators: Creative strategies and practical solutions (4th ed.). ALA Editions.
University of Southampton. (n. d.). ROARMAP. https://roarmap.eprints.org/