In this section we look at:

What is Creative Commons

The most common open licences for digital works come from the Creative Commons licence suite.

Creative Commons (CC) is a non-profit organization that works to increase the amount of creativity (cultural, educational, and scientific content) in “the commons” — the body of work that is available to the public for free and legal sharing, use, repurposing, and remixing. It aims to promote better identification, negotiation and reutilisation of content for the purpose of creativity and innovation.

The Creative Commons licences have been designed to offer a flexible and straightforward tool for people who value accessibility and use of their works over monetary incentives, while still retaining some rights.

Creative Commons licences are not an alternative to copyright. They work alongside copyright and enable you to modify your copyright terms to best suit your needs. A Creative Commons licence enables creators to distribute their content to a wide audience and specify the manner in which the work can be used while still maintaining their copyright.