Creative Commons Licensing

Definition

Creative Commons licensing is a system that allows creators to share their work with certain permissions granted upfront. It provides a way for artists, writers, and other content creators to easily communicate how others can use their work while still retaining some rights.

Analogy

Think of Creative Commons licensing as a menu at a restaurant. Each item on the menu has specific instructions about what you can do with it - whether you can modify it, share it with others, or use it commercially. Just like how menus help you understand what you're allowed to do with your food choices, Creative Commons licenses help you understand what you're allowed to do with creative works.

Related terms

Public Domain: Works that are not protected by copyright law and can be freely used by anyone.

Fair Use: A legal doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright owner under certain circumstances.

Attribution: Giving credit to the original creator when using their work, as required by some Creative Commons licenses.