Copyright can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it protects your work from being infringed by others. On the other hand, it also prevents others from adapting and building upon your work. With the rise of the internet and the knowledge-sharing movement, publishing works has become far easier; but under traditional copyright law, creators are left with a stark choice — either retain all rights, or release their work into the public domain. These two extremes create a dilemma for knowledge sharing. However, whether you are an individual creator or a large commercial organisation, a Creative Commons licence offers a standardised way to grant the public the right to use your work. This article introduces the use of this form of copyright licence.
WHAT IS CREATIVE COMMONS?
Creative Commons is an international non-profit organisation founded in 2001. CC has a broad network of affiliates around the world, with more than 79 jurisdictions globally permitting and promoting CC licences. CC helps intellectual property owners legally share their IP through licensing. When a copyright owner wishes to grant others the right to share, use and build upon their work, they may choose to apply a CC licence. Once someone adopts a CC licence, users may use the work within the terms of the chosen licence. The fundamental purpose of CC licences is to “refine” the use of copyright and, through free sharing, to help build an innovation-oriented world. From the user’s perspective, a CC licence tells them how they may use the work.
TYPES OF CREATIVE COMMONS LICENCES
Creative Commons offers six common CC licence types. Let’s look at them one by one:
1. CC BY
The CC BY licence allows users to reproduce, remix, excerpt and create derivative works in any medium or format, provided that the user gives appropriate credit. This licence permits commercial use. This is the most permissive of the CC licences.
2. CC BY-SA
The CC BY-SA licence allows users to reproduce, remix, excerpt and create derivative works in any medium or format, and requires users to give appropriate credit. This licence permits commercial use, but users must license their adapted works under the same CC licence.
3. CC BY-NC
The CC BY-NC licence allows users to reproduce, remix, excerpt and create derivative works in any medium or format, but the work and any derivatives may not be used for commercial purposes, and users must likewise give appropriate credit.
4. CC BY-NC-SA
CC BY-NC-SA allows users to reproduce, remix, excerpt and create derivative works in any medium or format, but users must credit the original author and may not use the work for commercial purposes, and they must license their adapted works under the same CC licence.
5. CC BY-ND
CC BY-ND allows users to copy or redistribute the work, including for commercial purposes, but users may not make any changes to the original work and must credit the original author when using it.
6. CC BY-NC-ND
CC BY-NC-ND allows users to redistribute the work, but users may not alter or create derivatives of the work and may not use it for commercial purposes, and must credit the original author when using it. This licence is the most restrictive of the CC licences.
CREATIVE COMMONS PUBLIC DOMAIN DEDICATION
The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication
If you wish to place your work into the public domain, CC0 is an option. This dedication allows creators to waive all copyright in their work and place their work into the global public domain. CC0 permits users to copy, reproduce, remix, adapt and create derivative works in any medium or format without conditions.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT CREATIVE COMMONS LICENCE?
The six licences described above, together with the public domain dedication, provide creators with a range of options. Your choice should take into account why you want to share your work, as well as how you would like others to use it. You can use the tool provided by Creative Commons (https://creativecommons.org/choose/#) to guide your choice.
However, before you choose a Creative Commons licence, you need to know that once you have made your choice, you cannot revoke the licence or CC0. This means that once you apply a CC licence to your material, anyone who receives that licence can rely on it to use your work for as long as the work is protected by copyright. In addition, you must ensure that you own the copyright in the work. Only the copyright owner, or someone with the copyright owner’s express permission, can apply a CC licence or CC0 to a copyright-protected work. If you created the work in the course of your employment, the copyright owner may be your employer rather than you.
If you wish to apply a CC licence to your work, it is in fact very simple. You just need to choose the CC licence that suits your needs, and clearly inform users of the licence. You should also provide users with a link to the licence you have chosen. For example: © 2019. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.
Source: https://creativecommons.org
FINAL THOUGHTS
In the internet age, we all hold copyright to some extent, and at the same time face the possibility of having our copyright infringed. Even if applying a CC licence is an option, users may still fail to comply with its terms and infringe your copyright. If you believe your copyright has been infringed, we have experienced lawyers who can provide you with advice and help protect your rights.
