What does CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 allow?
You can use a photo, a diagram, or a video under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, but only for noncommercial purposes. If you adapt it, you must share the adaptation under the same license. You are allowed to copy, distribute, display, perform, and make adaptations. You are not allowed to make money from it, charge for access, or use it in advertising. If you remix or build on it, the new work must carry the same CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. This is the most restrictive of the Creative Commons licenses that still allows sharing.
What Does CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Allow? The Exact License Condition
Attribution, NonCommercial, ShareAlike
The official license terms for CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 combine three conditions. Attribution (BY) means you must credit the creator, link to the license, and note any changes. NonCommercial (NC) means the use cannot be primarily intended for commercial advantage or monetary compensation. ShareAlike (SA) means that if you create an adaptation and share it, you must license that adaptation under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 or a license Creative Commons has formally named as compatible.
The NonCommercial Boundary
The decisive exception is the NonCommercial boundary. The 4.0 version defines it by the purpose of the use, not the type of user. A charity can violate NC if it uses the work in a paid advertisement. A business can comply if it uses the work in internal training that generates no revenue. There is no bright-line rule. Advertising, sponsorship, fundraising, and internal business use each require separate context. If your planned use has material commercial risk, get separate permission or local legal advice.
Record the exact license from the original source page, not from a repost or a thumbnail. Open the creator's page, note the license and version, capture the attribution information, and check for exclusions. Then test your intended activity against the three conditions. If you plan to share unchanged, you only need attribution and a noncommercial purpose. If you plan to adapt, you also need to share the adaptation under the same license.
How NonCommercial and ShareAlike Operate Together
The Combined Restriction
NonCommercial and ShareAlike create a specific combination. The NonCommercial condition restricts the purpose of the use. The ShareAlike condition restricts the license you can apply to an adaptation. Together, they mean that a shared adaptation must be NonCommercial and use CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 or an officially designated compatible adapter licence.
Combining Works With Different Licenses
This matters when you combine multiple works. If you take a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 photo and a CC BY 4.0 photo into a single composite image, the composite is an adaptation. Because the NC input is under a ShareAlike license, the composite must carry CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. CC BY itself does not impose ShareAlike, but every input must remain attributable and its terms must still be satisfied. Check the official compatibility guidance for the exact combination and obtain separate permission if one set of terms cannot be honoured alongside the others.
Another example: synchronising music under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 with a moving image is expressly Adapted Material under version 4.0. The resulting video must carry CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 and must be noncommercial. Advertising or platform monetisation can make an NC use risky, but the result depends on the primary purpose and full context. Get separate permission when the commercial issue is material. Platforms with exclusive sublicensing terms or content ID systems can create a conflict. Check current platform terms instead of assuming a CC badge resolves that conflict.
| Action | Permitted | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Share unadapted copy | Yes | Attribution, noncommercial purpose |
| Display publicly | Yes | Attribution, noncommercial purpose |
| Make adaptations | Yes | Attribution, noncommercial purpose |
| Share adaptations | Yes | Attribution, noncommercial purpose, ShareAlike |
| Use in advertising | No | Commercial advantage or monetary compensation |
| Sell the work | No | Commercial advantage or monetary compensation |
| Charge for access | No | Commercial advantage or monetary compensation |
| Impose DRM that restricts reuse | No | Effective technological measures prohibited |
Allowed and Disallowed Uses
Allowed use. A nonprofit educational organisation downloads a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 infographic about climate change. The organisation credits the creator, links to the license, and includes the infographic in a free online lesson plan. No one pays to access the lesson plan, and no advertising appears alongside it. The organisation does not create an adaptation. This is allowed.
Disallowed use. A startup company downloads the same infographic and inserts it into a paid e-book about sustainability. The company credits the creator and links to the license. The e-book sells for a set price. The company does not create an adaptation. Even though attribution is correct, the use is primarily intended for commercial advantage through monetary compensation. This use violates the NonCommercial condition. The license terminates automatically, and the company could face liability for copyright infringement.
The single thing that most often goes wrong with CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 is misunderstanding the NonCommercial boundary. People assume that because the work is freely available online, any use that does not involve a cash sale is noncommercial. That is wrong. Advertising, sponsorship, fundraising, and internal business use can all be commercial under the 4.0 definition. The identity of the user, business, nonprofit, school, or individual, does not decide the issue by itself. If your use has material commercial risk, the only safe action is to get separate permission from the licensor or obtain local legal advice. Creative Commons does not enforce individual licenses or decide whether a particular use is lawful. That is a question for a qualified lawyer in your jurisdiction.
Common Questions
Can I use a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 photo on my company's website if the website does not sell anything?
It depends on the purpose. If the website is purely internal training with no revenue generation, the use may be noncommercial. But if the website is a marketing or sales tool, even without direct sales, it is likely commercial. The 4.0 definition looks at primary intent, not the absence of a price tag.
If I adapt a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 work, must I license the adaptation under the same version?
Yes. The ShareAlike condition requires that shared adaptations carry CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 or a license Creative Commons has formally named as compatible. The official compatibility list does not currently list any compatible licenses for NC-SA. You must use the same license.
Does CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 apply to software code?
No. Creative Commons states that its licenses are not suitable for software code. Use a recognised free or open-source software license suited to source code, patents, and distribution. Documentation and other non-code assets may carry a separate CC license if clearly marked.
What happens if I violate the NonCommercial condition?
Under version 4.0, rights under the license terminate automatically. They are automatically reinstated if you cure the violation within 30 days after you learn of it. Express reinstatement by the licensor is a separate route. Cure does not erase possible liability for the period of violation. Older versions do not contain the same automatic 30-day mechanism.
Can I crop or edit a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 photo and still call it the same work?
Whether cropping, excerpting, or editing creates an adaptation depends on applicable copyright law. Version 4.0 does not declare a universal boundary. Translation is normally an adaptation. Format-shifting alone is not. If your edit requires copyright permission, you are making an adaptation and the ShareAlike condition applies.