Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that provides licenses and tools for users to grant copyright permissions for creative and academic works. An author can use a Creative Commons (CC) license when they want to give others the right to share, use, or build upon a work they have created.
With a CC license, the author retains copyright but the license allows others to copy and distribute their work provided they give credit — and only use the work according to the conditions specified in the license.
The video below (created by Creative Commons and available via a CC BY-SA license) briefly explains.
Below you will find information on the different CC licenses available.
This license allows users to remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.
This license allows users to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms.
This license allows users to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
This license allows users to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms.
This license allows users to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.
This license allows users to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
CC Zero is a public dedication tool, which allows creators to give up their copyright and put their works into the worldwide public domain. CC0 allows users to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, with no conditions.
When using work under a CC license, make sure to note the terms of the particular license. These will explain the manner in which you are permitted to use the work without obtaining permissions. For example, only certain licenses allow a work to be used for a commercial purpose.
A key component of the use of CC material is using proper attribution. Attribution is a condition of every CC license. In viewing the associated license, it will provide information about the proper format for attribution. You can also visit the Best Practices for Attribution page of the CC wiki for examples.
