Grover, Eulalie Osgood. "The Hero." Kittens and Cats: A First Reader, https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/kittens-and-cats-a-first-reader-1911-cats-and-captions-before-the-internet-age/. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024.
(Grover, Eulalie Osgood. "The Mouse Trap." Kittens and Cats: A First Reader, https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/kittens-and-cats-a-first-reader-1911-cats-and-captions-before-the-internet-age/. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024.)
Welcome to the AUArts Creative Commons LibGuide! Here, you'll find information on the history of Creative Commons (CC), an explanation of the 6 different kinds of CC-licenses, how to use CC-licensed works, how to license your own work under a CC-license, and a list of resources you can use for finding CC-licensed, and public domain materials.
We welcome your feedback and if you have any resources you'd like to see added, please reach out to us at library@auarts.ca
"Creative Commons LibGuide" by Andrea Johnston is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0.
Creative Commons is an international nonprofit organization fostering a global movement of creators wanting to share their works freely! Creative Commons is also a set of legal tools that were built off of copyright law that allow creators to maintain the rights to their works while also sharing and sparking innovation. Beginning in response to an outdated global copyright legal system, Creative Commons and their licenses have now become ubiquitous for sharing, human collaboration, and openness. In fact, the CC logo and icons are now a part of the permanent design collection at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.
The founders of Creative Commons believe that everyone has something to contribute and that creativity and knowledge are the foundation of our culture that no one person can share alone.
In 1998, the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) was enacted in the United States. CTEA extended the copyright for every work in the U.S. an additional 20 years, making the copyright term for individuals equaling the life of the creator plus 70 years. This even included works that were already copyrighted!
Lawrence Lessig, a Stanford Law Professor, felt that the CTEA was unconstitutional as copyright terms kept being extended and prevented works from entering the public domain - a time when a work can now be used freely and without permission. It also marks when the work joins the pool of creativity and knowledge from which we can all readily utilize to create new works. The new law also didn't align well with the original purpose of copyright as it was written into the Constitution: to create an incentive for authors to share their works by granting a limited-time monopoly over them.
Eric Eldred, a web publisher who made works available as they passed into the public domain, teamed up with Lessig to challenge the constitutionality of the Act and took the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in a case known as Eldred v. Ashcroft. Unfortunately, they lost the case.
Inspired by Eldred's work of adding more items to the internet as they fell under the umbrella of public domain, as well as the growing community of creatives who were creating, remixing, and sharing content, Lessig and others knew they needed something to help address the tension between copyright regulation and a creator's ability to share their works digitally across the globe. Thus, Creative Commons was born! In 2002, the Creative Commons licenses were published. These were a set of free, public licenses that would allow creators to keep their copyright, while also sharing as widely (and as freely) as they wished. It allowed for more flexibility than the default "all rights reserved" option and gives creators and users more freedom to choose how they want to share their works. We'll look at this more closely later.
People around the world then came together with the idea of openness, collaboration, and shared human creativity in what is now called the “open movement.” Extending beyond just the CC licenses, the open movement is a global force of folks committed to the notion that the world is a better, brighter place when we can work and share together.
Today, Creative Commons licenses and public domain tools are used on approximately 2.5 billion works online and across 9 million websites! From scientific research to YouTube videos, CC licenses and public domain tools have helped the open movement come together around shared human creativity, collaboration and openness.
There are so many ways to get involved in the open movement. From simply utilizing the CC licenses or CC-licensed works to editing Wikipedia articles, it’s easy to join the conversation. In fact, since 2001, there has been a global coalition of people who have formed around Creative Commons and open licensing including copyright reform activists, policymakers advancing policies mandating open access to publicly funded educational resources, data and research, as well as creators who are passionate about open access and culture.
For those who are interested in working with the open movement are encouraged to checkout the CC Global Network (CCGN). CCGN members work on a variety of issues and projects related to collaboration and sharing. There are over 700 members in over 45 Chapters around the world. Find a Chapter near you and get involved today! https://network.creativecommons.org/chapter/.
For more ways to get involved, check out the Creative Commons website: https://creativecommons.org/mission/get-involved/
And finally, check out these other ideas for ways to get involved:
Join CC’s Open Culture Platform: matters related to the Open Culture movement are discussed, folks work on projects together, and a mentorship program is also available.
Sign up for CC’s Open Culture newsletter: Open Culture Matters.
Learn more about CC’s open culture program in the February 2022 Open Minds podcast.
The content in this section has been adapted from the following materials:
“Creative Commons and Open GLAM” (https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/chapter/1-3-creative-commons-and-open-glam/) by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0.
“Creative Commons Today” (https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/chapter/1-2-creative-commons-today/) by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0.
“The Story of Creative Commons” (https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/chapter/1-1-the-story-of-creative-commons/) by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0.
“What Is Creative Commons?” (https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/chapter/1-what-is-creative-commons/) by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0.
Copyright is an area of law that determines how users can utilize the original works of authors / creators, and how they can access said material. Copyright grants an exclusive set of rights to copyright holders that protects the holders works from being used in any way other than viewing, reading, or listening to the work. This means that members of the public cannot adapt, copy, distribute, or publicly perform the work without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
There are two rationales for copyright law and while these do vary amongst legal traditions, the two primary rationales for copyright law are as follows:
Utilitarian: the goal here is to incentivize creators utilizing social benefits that can come from sharing those works (think of someone promising you fame, money, and fortune in return for the rights to your work).
Author's rights: we're all about the author/creator here. Founded upon moral rights, this rationale acknowledges and protects the deep relationship authors have with their creative works by ensuring attribution for creators. It acknowledges the deep connection creators have with their creative works and honours that connection. Historically, this rationale has been identified with civil law traditions.
Well, it depends. And it varies from country to country but generally speaking:
Original literary and artistic works (visual, audio, written, and their combinations):
A work must be the creation of its creator, not copied from another work, and must be able to pass a certain standard of originality to warrant copyright.
Books, plays, games, software, music, poetry, paintings, videos of lectures, student essays and more can all be protected by copyright law!
Ideas and facts
That's right Uncle Jim. Your "idea" for a new and better mousetrap doesn't count until you do like Madonna, and "Express Yourself" (Madonna). (And really, who could argue that anything is better than the adorable "mouse trap" we see pictured above on the left?)
But if you express those works (for example, by writing down your poem, singing an original song, performing an original play, etc.), then it can be protected by copyright law.
Let's first get one thing out of the way: what the heck is intellectual property? Intellectual property are "the legal regulations governing an individual’s or an organization’s right to control the use or dissemination of ideas or information," ("Intellectual-property law"). Copyright is just one type of intellectual property, but there are also others. Let's take a closer look at a few:
Trademark Law: a way for the public to differentiate between similar products and services, and a way for producers of goods and services to protect their reputation.
For example, think of the Starbucks name and logo. No one else is allowed to use them and consumers are able to know what they are purchasing when they see the logo or name.
Patent law: grant exclusive rights to inventors to make, have made, use, have used, offer for sale, sell, have sold, or import patentable inventions. These laws grant inventors time-limited monopolies to their inventions.
Design patents: a special kind of patent that protect the particular design of functional objects. For example, think of the distinct curved shape of a Coca-Cola bottle.
Geographical indications: allows for a particular place name to be used for a particular agricultural or food product but only if the product was actually grown or produced there. Think of "champagne." Only the bubbles that were produced in Champagne can own this specific name / title.
Trade secrets and confidential information: protect commercially valuable information and is kept secret from the public. Think of a manufacturing process, list of customers, or a secret recipe.
Good news! For the most part, copyright is AUTOMATIC the moment a work is created. However, there are countries that require a work to be fixed into a tangible form before copyright is granted (remember Uncle Jim from before?). So that little cat doodle you drew on a napkin? Protected by copyright, my friend.
Another important fact to take note of is that the author of a work is not always the copyright holder. For example, work created during your employment may not belong to you. In some countries, when you create a copyrightable work in the tenure of your employment, your employer owns and controls the economic rights to the copyrighted work.These exceptions can also be seen in regard to independent contractors, students, faculty, and teachers in schools. Always check with your organization what rights you have to your own work!
While it may seem like copyright law can be restrictive, there are also ways for the public to utilize copyrighted works without having to ask for permission or violating copyright laws. These acceptable uses are referred to as exceptions and limitations to copyright. In general:
Exceptions to copyright are free
One great example of an exception to copyright would be "Fair Use" or "Fair Dealing" which has its own set of rules and guidelines for determining whether or not your use of a copyrighted work is "fair".
Limitations to copyright are subject to a fee
In the United States, a use is considered "fair" if it can pass the 4-factor test. A federal judge will consider the following when determining fair use:
The purpose and character of the use;
The nature of the copyrighted work;
The amount of copyrighted material being used (you've probably heard about the 10% or 1-chapter rule before); and,
The effect of the use upon the potential market.
There are also certain uses that have been exempted from copyright; namely, using copyrighted material for the purposes of parody, criticism, accessibility for the visually impaired and more.
To see AUArts Guidelines for Fair Use, please see our Fair Dealing Guidelines.
Works Cited
"Intellectual-property law." Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2009. academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/intellectual-property-law/344533. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.
Madonna. "Express Yourself." Freegal, Anglo Atlantic, 2016, https://marigold.freegalmusic.com/album/191018447311/2
The content in this section has been adapted from the following materials:
"Copyright Basics." (https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/chapter/2-1-copyright-basics/) by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0.
"Exceptions and Limitations to Copyright." (https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/chapter/2-4-exceptions-and-limitations-to-copyright/) by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0.
Here, you will find a wealth of works freely available to you to use as you wish. These works are not subject to copyright. You can create, remix, re-adapt, act, sing, recite - anything you'd like without fear of infringing upon copyright.
There are 4 ways a work can enter the public domain:
1. The copyright expires.
Copyright terms are not infinite and while today's terms are longer than they ever were before, they do eventually end. For the majority of countries, an individual's copyright will expire 50 years after their death, while others expire 100 years post-mortem. Check out the map below to see the different copyright terms for each country:
(Worldwide map of copyright term length, as of December 2022. Map by Yodin on Wikimedia Commons, based on an original image by Balfour Smith at Duke University. CC BY 3.0)
2. The creator puts the work directly into the public domain before the copyright expires.
3. The work was never entitled to copyright protection in the first place.
4. The creator failed to properly follow the formalities for copyrighting their work, or failed to maintain their copyright.
The Smithsonian
The Auckland Museum
The Rijksmuseum
It's important to remember that nowadays, copyright protection is automatic. Therefore, simply noting an absence of the copyright “©” symbol does not mean that a work is necessarily in the public domain. However, Creative Commons has got your back! As well as its CC0 Public Domain Dedication tool, Creative Commons has also created the Public Domain Mark (see above), which can label works whose copyright has expired everywhere in the world. This mark does not have any legal effect but does help re-users in identifying objects in the worldwide public domain.
The content in this section has been adapted from "The Public Domain." (https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/chapter/2-3-the-public-domain/) by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0.
Before diving into the specific aspects of what makes up a Creative Commons (CC) license, we need to provide a bit of background information. Copyright takes an "all rights reserved" approach to protecting creative works, whereas Creative Commons takes a "some rights reserved" approach. Creative Commons licenses operate within copyright law and as long as the public is utilizing the works within the conditions and license terms set out in the CC licenses, permissions will remain granted for the duration of the underlying copyright.
Therefore, Creative Commons work ON TOP of copyright protection. Not instead of. In fact, CC licenses are a set of legally enforceable tools that allow creators to share the works they want on their own terms. The tools have also been carefully designed so that non-lawyers can read, use, and understand them.
Let's take a closer look at what makes up a CC license.
Each CC license is made up of 3 distinct layers:
The base layer which is made-up of the legal code: these are the terms and conditions that are legally enforceable.
The commons deeds is the layer where the legal code is summarized. Found on webpages, this layer lays out key license terms and are meant to be "human-readable."
The final layer is the "machine readable" layer. This allows for websites and webservices to recognize and understand when a work is under a Creative Commons license.
(Image Copyright 2011, Creative Commons, Nathan Yergler, Alex Roberts. Licensed to the public under CC BY 3.0 Unported.)
As we have seen, the CC Licenses are another way to provide creators a method of sharing their works in a way that works best for them. To that end, CC licenses have several options that creators can utilize to grant permissions for using their works. However, all licenses ensure that the creators get attribution and credit for their works.
There are three main decisions creators have to determine when choosing a license:
Do you want to allow your work to be used commercially? Meaning, someone else can take your work, remix it, readapt it, etc., and then sell the item for profit.
Do you want to allow users to create derivative works from your original piece? These are also known as "adaptations."
Do you want to ensure your work continues to be shared in the same spirit of openness as you? Should creators choose to allow for derivative works, there is also an option to require users to make the new work available under the same license terms you originally applied. This is the "ShareAlike" option and allows for CC licensed content to grow. It's like a "pay-it-forward" model: I made my work available under this CC license, you should too.
In Creative Commons, there are four main license elements that each have their own icon:
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The Attribution or "BY" symbol. This condition is included for all CC licenses and means that the creator of the work should be given credit. |
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The NonCommercial or "NC" symbol. There are 3 CC licenses with this condition. This symbol means that the work is available to be used, but not for commercial gain. |
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The ShareAlike or "SA" symbol. Two CC licenses include this condition, and this is the condition where a user can use the work, but all adaptations must be licensed under the same license the original work was under. |
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The NoDerivatives or "ND" symbol which appears in two CC licenses. This symbol means that users are allowed to use the work but cannot share adaptations of the work. |
Together, these symbols make-up the six CC license options available for creators. You will see these four icons represented in the "license buttons" which we'll look at closer next.
The six licenses vary in regards to how restrictive use is. Let's look at each one, starting with the least restrictive, and moving to the most restrictive CC license:
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This is the Attribution license or "CC BY" license. Seeing this symbol means you're allowed to use and remix and adapt the work for any purpose you'd like (even for commercial gain) as long as credit is given to the creator. |
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This is the Attribution-ShareAlike license or "BY-SA" license. Again, users can utilize, readapt, remix this work and use it for any purpose (yep, including commercially), on the condition that credit is given to the creator and any adaptations that are made and shared must be licensed under the same or compatible license. |
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This is the Attribution-NonCommercial License or "BY-NC" license. This allows users to use the work for noncommercial purposes only and credit must also be given to the creator. |
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This is the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license or "BY-NC-SA" license. This license allows users to adapt the work, only for noncommercial purposes, and as long as they license any adaptations they share under the same or similar license, and that credit is given to the creator. |
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This is the Attribution-NoDerivatives license or "BY-ND" license. This grants users access to the unadapted work for any purpose – even commercially – as long as credit is given to the creator. And while users may adapt the work for personal use, they are not allowed to share those adaptations publicly. Hence, the NoDerivatives component of this particular license. |
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This is the Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivatives license or "BY-NC-ND" license. Users can utilize the unadapted work for non-commericial purposes only, as long as they give credit to the creator and any adaptations they make are for their own personal use and are not shared publicly. |
Now that we're more familiar with the suite of CC licenses, let's have a look at the two public domain tools that CC also has. It is important to note that these tools are not equivalent to the licenses.
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This is the CC0 tool. Putting this symbol onto a work means that the creator is dedicating their work into the worldwide public domain, to the greatest extent possible. You may see this tool being utilized by libraries, archives, and museums to show that they are waiving all possible rights they may have in other jurisdictions to the reproductions of those works. Works under this tool can be used freely, in any way the user chooses, and is free of copyright restrictions (AKA: "No Rights Reserved"). Another neat feature of this tool is the legal mechanisms that are included to help jurisdictions where creators are not allowed to dedicate their works to the public domain. You can read more about this tool on the Creative Commons website here: https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/cc0/ |
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This is the Public Domain mark and it signifies that the work in question is known to be free of all copyright restrictions. Often used by archives, museums, and libraries working with very old works, this label is meant to inform the public about the public domain status of the work. It is also important to note that this mark has no legal effect when applied, and that anyone can apply the Public Domain Mark to a work that is known to be in the public domain – not just the license holder. |
As we have seen, the various Creative Commons licenses allow creators to share their works with one or more of the permissions governed by copyright law. Ranging from a restrictive license such as the BY-NC-ND, to fully dedicating the work to the public domain for free and unfettered use, the Creative Commons licenses offers creators a wide range of options for granting permissions to users to utilize their creative works.
But what about exceptions and limitations to copyright? How do those affect CC licenses? Importantly, there are two key scenarios where users do not need a copyright license and do not need to follow the terms of the CC licenses:
If a user is using a work that falls under fair dealing, fair use, or another applicable limitation and exception to copyright.
CC licenses were designed intentionally to not reduce, restrict, or limit any rights under limitations and exceptions to copyright such as fair use, or provisions for people with disabilities as outlined in the Marrakesh Treaty. The fundamental principle of CC licensing is that if the use of CC-licensed material would otherwise be permissible because of an applicable limitation or exception to copyright, users do not need to rely on the CC license or comply with its terms and conditions.
If a user is utilizing a work that is in the public domain.
As works in the public domain are unrestricted, CC licenses should not be applied and do not place any restrictions on materials that are otherwise unfettered. Further, applying a CC license to a work in the public domain does not remove that work from the domain.
Those who want to dedicate their works to the public domain before the applicable copyright or similar rights expire can use CC’s legally robust public domain dedication. If a work is already in the worldwide public domain, it should be marked with CC’s Public Domain Mark.
To learn more about utilizing CC licenses and the overall licensing scheme, check out this comprehensive guide to Using Creative Commons Licenses.
The content in this section has been adapted from:
“License Design and Terminology” (https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/chapter/3-1-license-design-and-terminology/) by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0.
“License Scope” (https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/chapter/3-2-license-scope/) ) by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0.
“License Types” (https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/chapter/3-3-license-types/) by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0.
Let's begin by differentiating between adaptations and collections as this is a really tricky area of copyright law. In fact, the distinction between the two can be contentious as few definitive rules exist, and can vary by jurisdiction.
| Adaptations / Remixes | Collections | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Combines and "mixes" material from different sources to create an entirely new creation. It is nearly impossible to tell where one work ends and another begins. | Combines independent and separate creative works into a collective whole, or, collection. Objects are still separate and distinct and it is easy to tell each creation apart. |
| Examples | A chapter in an open textbook that intersperses content from other open educational resources throughout. | A book that combines openly-licensed essays from different sources into one work. |
Now that we know what makes up a collection, let's talk about how you go about licensing a collection (cuz I know y'all want to start creating those collections ASAP!)
As a collection is made up of different, individual works, attribution and licensing must be provided about each individual work. This allows the public to know which license terms applies to which work, and lets them know who created what.
OK, but what does this mean for you who created the collection? Well, in terms of licensing, only the new contributions that YOU made to the work are available for you to license.
Adaptations (which are also known as derivative works in some countries) are when something new is created from a copyrighted work that is "sufficiently original to itself to be protected by copyright."
However, not all changes to a work will necessarily equal an adaptation (ex: minor formatting issues do not an adaptation make).
Further, to be considered a true adaptation, the resulting work must be considered based on (or derived from) the original.
Like collections, licensing for adaptations ONLY apply to your own contributions to the original work. The license originally placed on the base work continues to govern and protect that piece.
However, for adapted works, there is a license called the "Adapter's License" which comes with a handy chart that creators can utilize when looking to adapt materials:
(CC Adapters License Chart / CC BY 4.0)
Here's how this chart works: use the left-hand column to identify which license the original work is under. You may then license your adaptation under one of the licenses listed along the top row as long as the box is GREEN. If the box is YELLOW, Creative Commons does not recommend licensing your work under that license (although doing so is permitted under the terms of the license). If you do decide on one of the yellow licenses, be sure to take extra care to mark the adaptation as utilizing multiple copyrights that are under different terms. If the box is GREY, you may not use that license for your adaptation.
But what about when you want to take multiple pre-existing works and adapt them? This is called "remixing," and it has its very own chart to help determine which works can be remixed and which ones cannot.
(CC License Compatibility Chart / CC BY 4.0)
Here's how this beauty works: find a license for one of the works on the left-hand column, then find the license for the other work along the top row. If there is a checkmark in the area where the two intersect, then you can freely remix those materials. If there is an "X", the works cannot be remixed unless an exception or limitation applies.
Once you have the green light, it's typically best practice to utilize the more restrictive license of the two as it will ease reuse for downstream users.
And now, for your approval, I would like to provide an example of a collection.
For this example, I went to the Library of Congress's Free to Use and Reuse website where they "[believe] that this content is either in the public domain, has no known copyright, or has been cleared by the copyright owner for public use," ("Free to Use and Reuse Sets,").
And now, without further ado, please enjoy the following collection entitled, "Historical Library Posters" by yours truly.
Many of us can probably remember the first library we went to. We remember the sights of all those wonderful books, sitting quietly on the shelves, just waiting to be picked up and devoured. We probably also remember seeing colourful posters put up around the space declaring that "Reading is Cool!" Or, "Fall into a Good Book!"
Some were cheesy. Some were beautiful. Some made us stop and stare. But all had one goal in mind: to make us read more. And today, I'd like to introduce some amazing, classic posters that inspired many audiences before us but that I hope will inspire some new readers today.
Enjoy the journey, friends.
An excellent work from August 30, 1940 featuring a frightened reader surrounded by spooky and mysterious images. Note, though, that the reader can't seem to put down the book even though it's terrifying!
Attribution statement:
"October's 'Bright Blue Weather' A Good Time to Read" by Albert M. Bender (artist) is in the public domain (note on website: "No known restrictions on publications").
WOW. Is anyone else getting COVID PTSD vibes from this one? Even before the pandemic, libraries were innovating how readers could get access to much-needed materials.
An eye-catching poster from March 25, 1941, this is another excellent example of the power of libraries.
License statement:
"Curb service 10,000 current books – convenient, free, time saving: Chicago Public Library, Randolph St. Corridor" by the Federal Art Project is in the public domain (note on website: "No known restrictions on publications").
For my final poster, I present to you one from the year 1917. The text on the poster reads: "You will find popular books for fighting men in the recreational buildings and at other points in this Camp. Free. No red tape. Open every day. Good reading will help you advance."
Powerful, indeed.
License statement:
"The Camp Library is Yours: Read to the Win the War" by Charles Buckles Falls is in the public domain (note on website: "No known restrictions on publications").
Works Cited
Bender, Albert M. October's "bright blue weather" A good time to read! 30 Aug. 1940. Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/98509532/. Accessed 11 March 2024.
Falls, C. B. The camp library is yours - Read to win the war / F. 1917. Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.40831/
Federal Art Project. Curb service 10,000 current books - convenient, free, time saving: Chicago Public Library, Randolph St. Corridor. 25 March 1941. Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/resource/cph.3f05168/. Accessed 25 March 2024.
"Free to Use and Reuse Sets." Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/free-to-use/. Accessed 11 March 2024.
The content from this section has been adapted from “Remixing CC-Licensed Works” (https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/chapter/4-4-remixing-cc-licensed-work/) by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0.
As we have learned with the content above, in most areas of the world, you are not required to register ownership of copyright for the work you own, and that copyright is automatic as soon as the work is put into a fixed form. If you are the copyright owner of your work, you can add a Creative Commons license to it at any time. Adding a CC-license also does not require registration and is as simple as including a few basic pieces of information in a copyright notice somewhere on your work (for additional information on copyright in Canada including copyright notices, see the Government of Canada's Guide to Copyright).
To apply a Creative Commons license to your work, you need 4 pieces of information in the format of T-A-S-L:
An example of a CC-licensing statement would be as follows:
"Marking your work with a CC license" by Creative Commons is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Adding a statement like the one above somewhere in your work means you have officially licensed it under Creative Commons! You can of course include one the of CC icons or badges available for download here, but also ensure you have a TASL statement as well.
The above content was adapted from Creative Commons Certification Handbook by Creative Commons is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Choosing the right license can be tricky and there are many things to consider when looking to apply a CC-license to your work. Creative Commons has created a tool called the CC-License Chooser that will take you step-by-step through the process of choosing a license that's right for you. However, there are a few important things to take note of before applying a CC-license (for a full listing of considerations for CC-licenses, please see this page on Considerations for Licensors):
This image may also be helpful in determining which license to choose:
(“Choo-Choo-Choo-Choose your license!” is based on the work “Welche CC-Lizenz ist die richtige für mich?” by Barbara Klute und Jöran Muuß-Merholz für wb-web unter CC BY-SA 3.0. The English version is a translation and enhancement by Jöran Muuß-Merholz under the same license.)
While there are lots of things to consider when applying a CC-license, you aren't alone and Creative Commons is here to help. If you have additional questions or concerns, feel free to post to one of CC's email discussion lists, send them an email at info@creativecommons.org, send an email to one of their country project leads or obtain your own legal advice.
The content above has been adapted from "Considerations for licensors and licensees" by Creative Commons licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
