Copyright and Creative Commons

Creative Commons is a global nonprofit organization that provides free legal tools

so you can create a copyright license for your creative works.

www.creativecommons.org

What is a Creative Commons License?

• Traditional copyright is granted automatically (Who knew??)
• CC allows copyright holders to modify those rights and allow their works to be more accessible and reusable
• CC licenses are non-exclusive (you can enter into separate agreements for the use of your materials)
• CC licenses are non-revocable (you can remove your CC license, but anyone who already uses your work retains access)

Why Use a Creative Commons License?

• Easier for others to determine how you will allow your creative content to be reused
• Easier for you to know how to reuse someone else’s content Worldwide license (typical copyright is for the country of origin)
• Flexible to fit your needs and desired restrictions – you can pick and choose!

What Kinds of Creative Commons Licenses Are There?

The great thing about CC licenses is that you can mix and match - pick the elements you want, and ignore the ones you don't want. The chart at right shows the various licenses on a scale from most open to least open.  Here's a description of the various components.

0 – No rights reserved (Public Domain)

BY – Attribute (you must give attribution)

SA – Share Alike (you can reuse, but you must have the same or less restrictive license)

NC – Non-Commercial (no for-profit use allowed)

ND – Non-Derivative (can be reused but not modified)

C – Full Copyright (no CC license applied)