Applying a CC license alone is not enough to ensure your work is freely available for easy reuse and remix. Censorship Limitations by stevenpb dedicated to the public domain using CC0. Learning Outcomes Explain why CC discourages changing the license terms Explain how a paywall effects CC-licensed content Describe why the technical format of content…

The act of applying a CC license is easy, but there are several important considerations to think through before you do. Learning Outcomes Name the most important considerations before applying a CC license or CC0 Apply a license using CC’s License Chooser and CC0 using CC’s Public Domain Dedication Evaluate which license to apply based…

There are six different CC licenses, designed to help accommodate the diverse needs of creators while still using simple, standardized terms. Learning Outcomes Explain the CC license suite Describe the different CC license elements Big Question / Why It Matters Why are there so many different Creative Commons licenses? There is no single Creative Commons…

Creative Commons licenses are built on copyright law. That simple fact tells you most of what you need to know about when they do and do not apply, and how long they last. Learning Outcomes Understand how CC works with copyright and why this is important Explain time length of license Big Question / Why…

Do you “speak CC” yet? This lesson covers the acronyms, terms, and symbols used in connection with Creative Commons’ tools, as well as some key things to know about how the licenses were designed. Learning Outcomes Differentiate the meaning of different CC icons Identify the different layers and elements of CC licenses and tools Big…

The public domain consists of works that are not subject to copyright. This is a vast, ever-growing pool of material on which new creativity and knowledge may be built without concern for copyright. Melies color Voyage dans la lune, by Georges Méliès, Public Domain. Learning Outcomes Explain what the public domain is Communicate the value…

Is copyright confusing to you? Get some clarity by understanding its history and purpose. Learning Outcomes Explain basic principles of copyright Trace the basic history of copyright Explain the purpose of copyright Explain general copyright terms Big Question / Why It Matters Why do we have laws that restrict the copying and sharing of creative…

The Conciergerie, Paris by Mustang Joe is marked with CC0 1.0. On February 10 and 11, 2025, the government of France convened the AI Action Summit, bringing together heads of state, tech leaders, and civil society to discuss global collaboration and action on AI. The event was co-chaired by French President Macron and Indian Prime…

Acknowledging that some data should not be shared (for moral, ethical and/or privacy reasons) and some cannot be shared (for legal or other reasons), Creative Commons (CC) thinks there is value in incentivizing the creation, sharing, and use of open data to advance knowledge production. As open communities continue to imagine, design, and build digital…

We believe that opening up climate change research and data is climate action. Our Open Climate Data project, generously funded by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, is facilitating better sharing of climate data with CC licensing, metadata, and database user-interface practices. Our Paper Pledge for the Planet and Unbinding projects focus on opening up the…