Creative Commons (CC)

Creative Commons (CC) is an international organization that promotes the sharing and reuse of copyright-protected material. Founded in 2001 by Lawrence Lessig, Creative Commons offers six types of licenses that authors, artists, and other creators can use to give permission for people to use their work: ‒ Attribution (CC BY): users are allowed to copy, distribute, display, and create derivative works with the material, as long as they provide credit to the original author ‒ Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA): users are allowed the same rights as the CC BY license, but must also provide their derivative work under the same license ‒ Attribution-NoDerivs (CC BY-ND): users are allowed to copy, distribute, and display the work, but may not make derivative works with the material ‒ Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC): users are allowed to copy, distribute, display, and create derivative works with the material, as long as they are not used for commercial purposes ‒ Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA): users are allowed the same rights as the CC BY-NC license, but must also provide their derivative work under the same license ‒ Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND): users are allowed to copy, distribute, and display the work, but may not make derivative works with the material and may not use the work for commercial purposes.

The Creative Commons licenses are an important tool for developers and programmers who need to share their work with the public. By using Creative Commons as a way to give permission for others to use their work, developers have the ability to choose which rights they want to allow or retain and can ensure that they are properly credited for their works.

Creative Commons licenses can also be applied to software development, as software code is often shared between people. Developers can use the CC licenses to declare how their code can be used and distributed, and how other users are expected to provide credit to the original author.

In addition to providing six licenses, Creative Commons also offers tools and services to help users create, store, and manage their licenses. The Organization also has a robust community of creators, users, and experts who provide support and resources to help people navigate the world of copyright and licensing.