Copyright

Creative Commons helps you share your knowledge & creativity with the world.

Creative Commons licenses are a simple, standardized way to give others permission to share and use your work -- on conditions of your choice. You retain copyright of your work while allowing others to make limited uses.

A short video from Wikimedia introducing users to Creative Commons:

When you take a photo, make music or shoot a video it’s yours, you own it. You also own the copyright. Which means you decide how it is used and who can use it and if it can be copied and shared (or remixed). Creative Commons is a set of licenses that enable lawful collaboration to do things like copy, share and remix. Creative Commons is a way to give permission to everyone to freely reuse your creative works. Hundreds of sites use these licenses: Wikipedia, YouTube, Archive.org, Vimeo, Soundcloud, Flickr, Bandcamp, Boundless, Jamendo, TED, Musopen, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Free Music Archive, Freesound. Creative Commons makes us all more free to create.

There are six different CC licenses to choose from, ranging from least to most restrictive. Under each license, you retain copyright over your creation but allow others to use it under certain conditions.

Creative Commons' license choosing tool can help you select the right license:

Choose a License

The information presented in this guide is intended for informational purposes and should not be construed as legal advice. The content in this guide was adapted from the Copyright guide from NYU Libraries.