Many people go online. They copy or download images, videos, audio, or text. They use them in presentations, reports, or online posts. The internet has a lot of materials. It seems easy to take these resources and use them.

But, did you know you could get in trouble? You could be responsible for copyright infringement.

What is copyright infringement? It happens when someone uses another person’s work without asking. They use it without permission. This is like stealing. Not all materials on the internet are free to use.

Photographers, artists, writers, and other creators have rights. They own their work. They may want money for their work. Or they may want you to ask before using it. This is true even for educational use. You must give them credit. You must follow rules.

The good news is that some creators want to share. They want to share their work online. They want to share with other creators and users. Creative Commons helps with this. It supports a “culture of collaboration and gratitude.” It also protects creators’ rights. Creators can say how others can use their work.

What is Creative Commons?

Creative Commons (CC) is a worldwide non-profit group. This group gives free licenses that are easy to use. These licenses help people who make content, artists, and groups. They help them to “share their knowledge and creativity legally.” They want to make the world more fair, easy to reach, and full of new ideas. CC licenses aim to help people work together online. They also want to help make open resources. They focus on Open Educational Resources (OER). OER is a good way to make education available to everyone in the world.

It is important to know that CC is not a replacement for copyright. Content creators can use CC with copyright. They can change the copyright terms to suit their needs better.

Why learn about CC?

1. CC helps you use the internet well. You can use the internet without making mistakes. You learn to give credit to creators.
2. You learn to find materials to use again.
3. Knowing about CC helps you share your work. You can choose how others use your work.
4. Using CC encourages others to share. This sharing spreads knowledge. It educates people.

What are the Creative Commons (CC) licenses and how do I use them?

Image by Foter from Creative Commons free photos for bloggers.
 

• CC BY – Attribution – You can use the work for any purpose. You must say who created it.
• CC-BY-SA – Attribution-Share-Alike – You can use the work for any purpose. You must say who created it. You must let others use your new work in the same way.
• CC-BY-ND – Attribution-No Derivatives – You can use the work for any purpose. You must say who created it. You cannot share any changes.
• CC-BY-NC – Attribution-Non-Commercial – You can use and change the work. You must say who created it. You cannot make money from it. You can choose a different license for your new work.
• CC-BY-NC-SA – Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share-Alike – You can use and change the work, but not for profit. You must say who created it. You must let others use your new work in the same way.
• CC-BY-NC-DC – Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivatives – You can get and share the work. You must say who created it. You cannot change the work or make money from it.

Materials with “All rights reserved” are not free. You must get permission from the creator to use them. Works marked CC0 or Public Domain are free to use. You do not need to ask or give credit. Everyone owns these works.

How to give credit

Giving credit correctly is very important in the CC system. It is a nice way to thank the source. It also shows that the work, creation, or idea is not yours.

You need to include these things in your credit:

1. The title of the work.
2. The name of the author and a link.
3. The type of CC license.

You should make each of these things a link. This helps others find the original source. You can visit CC Best practices for attribution to see good examples and bad examples.

Where do you find CC-licensed materials online?

Not all websites use CC licenses. You can look for CC materials on CC Search. But, you should still check if the image has a CC license. You also need to check if the image has full credit and license details before using it.

Do you want to use CC for your work? Visit the License Chooser or Marking your work with a CC license.
To learn about CC, watch these videos: See Wanna work together? and A Shared Culture by Jesse Dylan.
 
Article updated January, 2024
 
Sources: Creative Commons; What to do if you’re accused of copyright infringement? Leslie Ellen Harris, World Intellectual Property Organization; What is Creative Commons and should you use it? Danny Stieben, MUO; and Copyright Matters! Some key questions and answers for teachers, Wanda Noel and Jordan Snel, Barristers and Solicitors, CMEC Copyright Consortium. Accessed June 28, 2019.