The reuse of content fuels human progress and creativity, and proper attribution of that reused material serves vital functions in maintaining the health of the information ecosystem. Attribution provides essential pathways from new works to the existing works that made them possible, showing respect to the original creators and providing value to their efforts. It also allows the new content to be independently checked for accuracy, a foundational requirement for trust in shared information.

All CC Licenses Require Attribution

When you find a CC work you want to reuse, the single most important thing to know is how to provide attribution. All CC licenses require that attribution be given to the creator. 

The elements of attribution are simple, though the more information you can provide, the better. If an author has provided extensive information in their attribution notice, retain it where possible. People like to understand where CC licensed works come from, and creators like to know their names will remain attached to their works. 

Remember that unlike the CC licenses, CC0 is not a license but a public domain dedication tool, so it does not require attribution in its terms. Nevertheless, giving credit or citing the source is typically considered best practice even when not legally required.

Remember “TASL”

The best practice for attribution is applying the “TASL” approach.

T = Title

If a title was provided for the work, include it as a part of the attribution. If a title is not provided, there’s no need to mention the title.

A = Author

We often use “author” as a shorthand when we are, legally speaking, referring to the “licensor” (a.k.a., the “copyright holder” or “rightsholder”). This is because, for most CC-licensed works, the licensor is the same person or entity as the author. 

When an author is licensing their work under a CC license and has made their name available, include the author’s name as a component in your attribution. Sometimes, the licensor may want you to give credit to some other entity (such as a company or institution), or the licensor may want to be credited by a pseudonym instead of their real name. In rare cases, the licensor may not want to be attributed at all. In all of these cases, do what the licensor requests.

If the author has provided a copyright notice, include that as well. A copyright notice consists of the copyright symbol, year of publication, and the name of the author/licensor. 

S = Source

Include a URL or hyperlink of where the work resides to make it possible for future users to find the source of the material. Ideally, include the original URL instead of a shortened link.

If you found the work somewhere other than the original site, try to include information about the original site where the work was first shared publicly. 

L = License

You must specify which CC license was applied to the work you are reusing.

The attribution requirements in the CC licenses are designed to be fairly flexible to account for the many ways content is used. For example, a filmmaker will have different options for giving credit than a scientist publishing an academic paper.

Attribution for Public Domain Materials

Although attribution is not a legal obligation under the terms of CC0 or the Public Domain Mark, we recognize that it is often an ethical or cultural expectation.

We recommend that you consider including all TASL information—including the original author and information about the hosting institution—for public domain materials when it is reasonable to do so. Citing public domain works in this way not only encourages institutions to digitize and share more public domain materials in their physical collections, but it also empowers users to easily locate the original source.