What is Creative Commons?
A creator uploads a photo to a stock site, marks it CC BY 4.0, and a blogger uses it in a commercial article without asking permission. That use is lawful, and free. Creative Commons is a set of standard, legally enforceable copyright permissions that the creator chose in advance. The organisation is a nonprofit that writes and stewards those permissions. The license suite is the six 4.0 International tools that operate on top of copyright. The public-domain tools, CC0 and the Public Domain Mark, work differently and are not part of that suite.
The Organisation, The Licences And The Public-Domain Tools Are Three Separate Things
Creative Commons, the Nonprofit
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organisation. It writes and maintains standard copyright licenses and public-domain tools. It is not a party to any individual license, does not register works, does not verify ownership, and does not give legal advice. Apply a license and you enter a direct legal relationship with every downstream recipient, not with Creative Commons.
The Six 4.0 International Licenses
The current suite contains six 4.0 International licenses. All require attribution. The six are: CC BY 4.0 (sharing and adaptations, including commercial use; attribution), CC BY-SA 4.0 (the above plus share-alike for adaptations), CC BY-ND 4.0 (sharing, including commercial sharing, but no sharing of adapted material), CC BY-NC 4.0 (sharing and adaptations for NonCommercial purposes only), CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (NonCommercial plus ShareAlike), and CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (NonCommercial sharing of unadapted material only). Each license is irrevocable for the term of copyright once a recipient receives the work while complying with its terms.
CC0 And The Public Domain Mark Are Not Licenses
CC0 is a public-domain dedication. It includes a waiver of rights, a fallback license where the waiver is not effective, and a non-assertion promise limited to remaining Copyright and Related Rights. The Public Domain Mark changes no rights at all; it marks material believed to be free of known copyright restrictions worldwide. Neither is one of the six licenses. Neither guarantees that other laws, privacy, publicity, trademark, patent, contract, or cultural heritage, permit a use.
What The Exact License Condition Requires Under 4.0
Every Creative Commons 4.0 license requires attribution. Retain, when the licensor supplied them: identification of the creator and any designated attribution parties, a copyright notice, a notice referring to the license, a warranty disclaimer, and a URI or hyperlink to the material where reasonably practicable. Link or refer to the license. Indicate modifications, preserving any earlier modification notices. Do this in any reasonable manner for the medium. Version 4.0 does not separately require the work's title, although older versions may. If the licensor requests it, remove attribution information where reasonably practicable. Attribution must not imply endorsement.
| Condition | What It Permits | What It Blocks | Common Misreading |
|---|---|---|---|
| BY (Attribution) | Sharing and adaptations, including commercial use | Using without providing required attribution information | It does not require a fee or permission |
| SA (ShareAlike) | Adaptations that carry the same or a compatible license | Sharing an adaptation under a more restrictive or incompatible license | Two SA licenses are not automatically compatible |
| NC (NonCommercial) | Use not primarily intended for commercial advantage | Use primarily intended for commercial advantage or compensation | The identity of the user does not decide it; a nonprofit can make a commercial use |
| ND (NoDerivatives) | Sharing unchanged material; private adaptation is allowed | Sharing adapted material under the license | Format-shifting alone is not an adaptation; translation normally is |
The Safest Next Step: Verify Before You Use
Lock Down the Source First
Do not rely on a repost, a search thumbnail, or a platform filter alone. Open the original source page. Record the creator, source URL, exact license and version, displayed notices, exclusions, and the date you checked. Preserve a screenshot when the use matters.
Test Your Activity Against the License
Confirm your intended activity: share unchanged, adapt, use commercially, or combine. Test NC, ND, and SA against that activity. Check non-copyright permissions, people depicted or recorded, brands, data, location or property restrictions, confidentiality, and platform rules. Attribute in a reasonable manner. Link the exact license, mark changes, and avoid implying endorsement. A useful mnemonic is TASL, title, author, source, license, but that is not the complete legal text. For 4.0, add an indication of changes and preserve supplied notices.
When the License Says No
If your intended use has material commercial risk under an NC license, or if you want to share an adaptation under an ND license, you cannot. The license does not permit it. Get separate permission from the licensor or obtain local legal advice. Do not assume a Creative Commons badge on a platform resolves platform-specific conflicts. Content ID, download restrictions, and DRM can create a conflict even when the license is valid.
Common Questions
Does Creative Commons register my work or verify my ownership?
No. Creative Commons is not a party to individual licenses, does not register works, and does not verify ownership. You apply the license yourself, and the license operates as a direct legal relationship between you and every downstream recipient.
Can I use a Creative Commons license for software code?
No. Do not use a Creative Commons license for software code. Use a recognised free or open-source software license suited to source code, patents, and distribution. Documentation, art, and other non-code assets may carry separate CC licenses if they are marked clearly.
What happens if I breach a 4.0 license condition?
Under version 4.0, rights terminate automatically on breach. They are automatically reinstated from the date the violation is cured, if cured within 30 days after the violator discovers it. Cure does not erase possible liability for the period of violation. Older versions have different termination language and do not contain the same automatic 30-day mechanism.
Can I upgrade a license that someone else applied to their work?
No. A license already attached to someone else's work cannot be unilaterally upgraded by a reuser. Use version 4.0 for a new license unless a specific, informed reason requires an older version or port.
Does a Creative Commons license cover trademark, patent, or privacy rights?
No. Version 4.0 does not license patent or trademark rights. Moral, privacy, and personality rights are handled only to the limited extent stated in the legal code and may still matter. You must check those permissions separately.