Creative Commons licenses
When project data, outputs, reports or learning materials are made available to others, access rights should be defined.
Creative Commons (CC) -license is a commonly used open licence that allows the open sharing and use of copyrighted works.
Creative Commons is an international, non-profit organization that provides free, machine-readable licences for the distribution or re-use of copyrighted material. It aims to promote the dissemination of creative works through free legal tools. The first version of Creative Commons licences was published in 2002, and in 2019 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 was selected as the European Commission's standard licence for material.
CC licences are not an alternative to copyright. When a CC licence is used, the copyright remains with the author. The licence can only be assigned by the holder of the existing copyright or other rights, usually the author (creator), unless he has transferred the rights to the publisher.
Similarly, you can use CC-licensed material from others, as long as you comply with the terms of the licence. Copyright and paternity rights always remain with the author.
Which Creative Commons license to choose?
Using a CC licence does not mean giving up your copyright, but it allows you to make your material available to others under certain conditions. The terms of use depend on the licence you choose. The Creative Commons licensing system contains different features which, when combined, create seven different licences. Use the Creative Commons licence Chooser to choose a licence, or the image below to illustrate.
|
There are six different license types, listed from most to least permissive here: CC-BY (ByAttribution): This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. CC-BY-SA (ByAttribution, ShareAlike): This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so 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-ND (ByAttribution, NoDerivatives): This license allows 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 ((ByAttribution, NonCommercial): This license allows 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-SA (ByAttribution, NonCommercial, ShareAlike): This license allows 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-ND (ByAttribution, NonCommercial, NoDerivatives): This license allows 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. CC0 is a public dedication tool, which allows creators to give up their copyright and put their works into the worldwide public domain. CC0 allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, with no conditions. |
The figure below illustrates the choice of combinations of different terms of the CC licence and the impact on the further use of CC-licensed material.
