Creative Commons 101: Understanding the basics

There is a code of conduct in academia for how to create and use information — especially when acknowledging the contributions of others or receiving credit for your own work. Understanding copyright, fair use, public domain, and Creative Commons is essential in participating in academic conversation.  

When you create something original, you own the copyright to that work. Holding a copyright means that you determine how that work gets used, copied, shared, or modified. While creators own full copyrights, they may choose to license their work under Creative Commons (CC). 

CC licenses let creators specify how others can use their work. There are six CC licenses, each with its own set of rules. Knowing a work’s CC license ensures you will use the content ethically and responsibly.  

Here is a description of the six licenses plus the public domain dedication tool, taken from the  CC website: 

1. This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator and you indicate if changes were made. The license allows for commercial use.  
CC BY includes the following elements: 
 BY: credit must be given to the creditor 

2. This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format as long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. 
If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms. 
CC BY-SA includes the following elements: 
BY: credit must be given to the creator
SA: SA means ShareAlike. Any adaptations you make must be shared under the same terms as the original material.

3. This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. CC BY-NC includes the following elements:
BY: credit must be given to the creator 
NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted

4. This license enables reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. CC BY-ND includes the following elements: 
BY: credit must be given to the creator 
ND: No derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted

5. This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms. CC BY-NC-SA includes the following elements: 
BY: credit must be given to the creator 
NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted
SA: adaptations must be shared under the same terms

6. This license enables reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. CC BY-NC-ND includes the following elements: 
BY: credit must be given to the creator 
NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted
ND: No derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted 

7. CC0 (aka CC Zero) is a public dedication tool, which enables creators to give up their copyright and put their works into the worldwide public domain. CC0 enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, with no conditions.