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Copyright

Copyright Best Practices

What is Creative Commons?

Creative Commons licenses build on copyright. By applying a Creative Commons (CC) license, creators grant permission to everyone in the world to use their work in certain ways—without needing to ask—as long as the conditions are followed.

🎥 Watch: Creative Commons: What Every Educator Needs to Know

💡 Tip: All CC licenses require attribution. The specific terms vary by license, so always check the icons and conditions listed on the work

Understanding License Types

Creative Commons licenses combine four elements to create six standard license types that vary in openness. These license types let users know what they can and can't do with a work.

  • BY – Attribution: Give credit to the creator.
  • SA – Share Alike: Share adaptations under the same terms.
  • ND – No Derivatives: Don't remix, transform, or build upon the material.
  • NC – Non-Commercial: Don't use the material for commercial purposes.

💡 Tip: These elements combine into six licenses, ranging from the most permissive (CC BY) to the most restrictive (CC BY-NC-ND).

How to Read a License

  • 👩‍⚖️ Legal Code: The full legal text of the license (for lawyers).
  • 🧑 Commons Deed: A plain-language summary of the license (for humans).
  • 🤖 CC Rights Expression Language (CC REL): A machine-readable version (for search engines and software).

Choose a Creative Commons License

Want to apply a Creative Commons license to your own work?

The Creative Commons License Chooser helps you:

  • Select a license based on how you want others to use your work
  • Generate license text and icons to add to your project or site
  • Copy a machine-readable tag for better discovery online

🌐 Launch the Creative Commons License Chooser

💡 Tip: Licensing your own materials, like syllabi, handouts, or videos, makes it easier to share with others while keeping credit and conditions intact.

Find & Use Creative Commons Content

Looking for CC-licensed media or open content? These tools and guides can help you get started:

💡 Tip: Most OERs use CC licenses. Learn more on our Open Educational Resources page.

Get Help with CC or OER

Have questions about Creative Commons, open licensing, or how to use CC content in your course?

We’re here to help! You can:

  • Get help understanding license conditions
  • Find openly licensed images, readings, and videos
  • Learn how to correctly attribute Creative Commons works

📧 Library
📧 NWACC OER Committee