In October 2021, Creative Commons launched a call for case studies on open access in cultural institutions, such as galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAMs), from low-capacity, non-Western institutions, or representing marginalized, underrepresented communities from various regions. The aim of the open call was to help generate a more global, inclusive, and equitable picture and…

The Creative Commons Certificate program provides unique training courses for educators, academic librarians and the GLAM community (galleries, libraries, archives and museums). Certificate courses are an investment in open movements, training people on copyright, open licensing, and the ethos of working with our global, shared commons using CC licenses. After launching in 2018, and certifying…

"Trailing Again" by Jacob Surland Fine Art Photographer is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Last month, the Foreign Policy Centre (FPC) and Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) released a publication entitled Global Britain for an open world? Open societies around the world and the international system that supports them are under growing threat. This publication examines the importance of open societies to the UK’s ‘force for good’ ambitions.  Edited…

More than a thousand educators, lawyers and tech experts from over 65 countries will come together this week for a global summit to promote open access and better sharing of research and resources. Creative Commons, the US-based global non-profit organization behind free copyright licenses, is hosting the event to develop solutions for the post-Covid world.…

In two days, the Smithsonian will celebrate one year of Smithsonian Open Access. This initiative removed copyright restrictions from 2.8 million digital collection 2D and 3D images and nearly two centuries of data using Creative Commons’ public domain dedication tool (CC0). Launched just before many of us went into lockdown due to COVID-19, Smithsonian Open…

“lightning” by duane.schoon is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 In December, the CC Open Education Platform hosted a series of open education “lightning talks” (7 minutes + Q&A) in which open education practitioners discussed their work and answered questions with a global audience. We are grateful to all 24 speakers for sharing their open education…

“lightning” by duane.schoon is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 The CC Open Education Platform is hosting a series of open education “lightning talks” in which open education practitioners will discuss their work (7 minutes) and take questions (2 minutes) in a supportive space. Everyone is welcome. Join us! In this first round of talks, 25…

Fashion Plate (1886) published by Abel Goubad et Fils, French via the Smithsonian Design Museum (CC0)

On November 2 and 3, 2020, Creative Commons (CC), the European Fashion Heritage Association (EFHA) and the Onassis Foundation held the online symposium: Is Sharing Always Caring? Bringing together 250 participants from 38 countries on four continents— from museum professionals to fashion design students all the way to big fashion brands—the event was an opportunity…

"Openness and Collaboration" by Paul Downey (CC BY 2.0).

Creative Commons is proud to announce six winning project proposals from the inaugural round of the CC Open Education Platform Activities Fund! The CC Open Education Platform is a vibrant, international network of over 1120 open education advocates, educators, librarians, lawmakers, graduate students, and more, spanning 79 countries. This year, CC launched an activities fund…

Image by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images/Images of Empowerment, November 2017 (CC BY-NC)

Since the founding of Creative Commons (CC) in 2001, we’ve been supported by like-minded organizations and individuals who value open access, the open community, and the global commons as much as we do. As we near our 20th anniversary, we are reflecting on the past and planning for the future. What better way to do…