Exciting news — an initiative of the MHz Foundation, Curationist.org, a free-to-use platform that connects users to over 4.4 million digital artworks and cultural objects, recently relaunched with some amazing new features. On 7 December, they will host a guided experience of the new platform, and we hope to see you there. Register now. The…
Hello Creative Commoners! We are back with a brand new episode of CC’s Open Minds … from Creative Commons podcast. In this episode, we sat down with programmer, musician, and copyright attorney, Damien Riehl, and fellow musician and programmer, Noah Rubin—the creators of the All The Music project. Frustrated by accidental copyright infringement lawsuits stifling…
Since June 2021, thanks to a grant by the Arcadia Fund, Creative Commons has been developing our Open Culture / Open GLAM program to help transform institutions and support them as they embrace open culture and all the benefits it creates for themselves and their communities. Our core task is to enable galleries, libraries, archives…
On January 1, 2022, and throughout the month of January, Creative Commons (CC) is celebrating Public Domain Day, welcoming copyright works into the public domain, where they become freely available for the public to use, reuse and modify. As part of our Open Culture / GLAM program’s celebration of Public Domain Day, we are reaching…
Every year, on 1 January, advocates of free and open content celebrate the works of art that have entered the public domain around the world. Why New Year’s Day? Copyrighted works such as books, artworks or music are only protected for a certain number of years, and this protection ends on 1 January. On 20…
On 29 January 2020, the Canadian federal government introduced Bill C-4, “An Act to Implement the Agreement between Canada, the United States of America and the United Mexican States” (CUSMA).1 The bill includes a proposal to extend copyright’s term of protection2 by 20 years, moving it from “life of the author + 50 years” (the…
"St. Valentine's Day - The Old Story in All Lands (1868)" by Harper & Bros. Cooper Hewitt (CC0)
February is usually the time to share virtual hugs, chocolates, and witty cards with family and friends for Valentine’s Day ❤️. (Or “Friend’s Day” in Finland!) This past Valentine’s Day, we wanted you to share something a little different: your creative work. In our Open Sharing is Caring challenge, we asked you to openly share…
There is a quiet, familiar beauty found in still life, a type of art that depicts primarily inanimate objects, like animals, food, or flowers. These comforting images offer a sense of certainty and simplicity in uncertain and complex times. This could explain why over six million Instagram users have fallen in love with still life…
"St. Valentine's Day - The Old Story in All Lands (1868)" by Harper & Bros. Cooper Hewitt (CC0)
February is the time to share virtual hugs, chocolates, and witty cards with family and friends for Valentine’s Day ♥️ (or “Friend’s Day” in Finland!) This Valentine’s Day, we want you to share something a little different: your creative work. In our Open Sharing is Caring challenge, we’re asking you to openly share an image, song, artwork, research paper, poem, GIF…whatever it…
Illustration from the book "Songs, naval and national" by Thomas Dibdin, published in London, England in 1841.
Until recently, I had never heard of the sea shanty “The Wellerman”. My sea shanty repertoire consisted of “What can you do with a drunken sailor” to sea-songs on the soundtrack of Master and Commander. However, Nathan Evans, a fellow Scot who hails, like me, from North Lanarkshire, has changed all of this. His rendition…