Creative Commons licences
Creative Commons licences work within the copyright legal framework and they are not a replacement for, or an alternative to, copyright. If any material is not covered by copyright then it is not covered by Creative Commons licences.
At their foundation, Creative Commons licences provide the fundamental connection between the creator and their creation, ensuring that copyright is retained and that creators get correct attribution for their work. They also provide users of copyright material clear and unambiguous permissions.
Whilst copyright law uses a blanket ‘all rights reserved’ approach, Creative Commons licences allow the creator to choose which rights to retain using a flexible and structured approach. The permissions granted under Creative Commons licences last for the duration of the copyright term (unless licence terms are violated*).
There are six licences available using a combination of four distinct elements. The licences range between very permissive (CC BY) to more restrictive in nature, (e.g. CC BY-NC-ND).
Attribution CC BY
The work can be used and adapted for any purpose (even commercial) provided credit is given to the creator. The most liberal licence.
Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA
Work can be used and adapted provided credit is given, and adaptations are shared under the same (or compatible**) licence.
Attribution-NonCommercial CC BY-NC
The work, or adaptations of the work, can be used only for non-commercial purposes, and credit must be given.
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA
The work can be used and adapted for non-commercial purposes provided the creator is given credit and adaptations are shared under the same (or compatible**) licence.
Attribution-NoDerivatives CC BY-ND
The unadapted work can be used for any purpose provided the creator is credited. If adaptations are made, they are for personal use only and must not be shared.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives CC BY-NC-ND
The unadapted work can be used for non-commercial purposes only provided the creator is credited. Any adaptations are for personal use only and must not be shared.
*If you use a CC licensed work without providing attribution, or without meeting other licence terms you are in violation of the licence and your right to use the work ends automatically. Under version 4.0 of the licences if you comply within 30 days then your rights under the licence are reinstated automatically.
**If you are using SA licensed works you should also use a SA licence, or a compatible licence, on any adaptation. A list of compatible licences can be found on the Creative Commons website.
CC licences and Open Educational Resources
Open Educational Resources are those which are licensed under CC BY, NC and SA licences, but not ND licences. Some suggest that CC BY is the best licence for OER because it is the most permissive and is the easiest to comply with. The SA element makes remixing different works difficult because of licence incompatibilities, and the NC element can introduce confusion around what constitutes non-commercial use.
The Creative Commons spectrum here illustrates the range of licences from the most liberal at the top to the most restrictive at the bottom. Permitted uses are indicated on the left hand side.
Shaddim; original CC licence symbols by Creative Commons, are licensed under Attribution 4.0. International via Wikimedia Commons