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Open Educational Resources: Creative Commons Licensing

Creative Commons

Creative Commons Licenses (CCLs) help creators to maintain copyright, while still allowing others to copy, distribute an make some use of the work. CCLs also allow creators to receive the credit for their work. The CCLs last as long as copyright lasts, but allow the creator the flexibility to determine how their work is used and reused.

When a CCL is applied to an object, it contains 3 layers of design,

  • the Legal Code layer - written in legal language and formats
  • The Commons Deed - the human readable version of the license
  • CC Rights Expression Language - this allows search engines to identify the work has a CCL and includes it in CCL searches.

The six standard CCLs

                

Attribution

(CC BY)       

Others can distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially.

The Creator must be given credit.

Attribution-ShareAlike 

(CC BY-SA)                   

Others can remix, tweak and build upon your work, even commercially.

The original Creator must be given credit, and the new creation must be licensed under identical terms.

Attribution-NoDerivs 

(CC BY-ND)

Other can redistribute, commercially and non-commercially, but must remain unchanged.

The Creator must be credited.

Attribution-NonCommercial 

(CC BY-NC)

Others can remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially.

The Creator must be credited.

The new work must also be non-commercial, but they don't have to license the new work with the same terms.

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike   

(CC BY-NC-SA)

Others can remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially.

The Creator must be credited.

The new work must be licensed with the same terms.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 

(CC BY-NC-ND)

Others can download your work and share with others.

The Creator must be credited.

They cannot be changed in any way or be used commercially.
  Public Domain - CC0

Creators can also choose to waive all rights to their work and place the work in the public domain.

The use of this mark - CC0, should not be confused with works already free of known copyright or database license restrictions.

Charles Sturt University acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands on which its campuses are located, paying respect to Elders, both past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations Peoples.Acknowledgement of Country

Charles Sturt University is an Australian University, TEQSA Provider Identification: PRV12018. CRICOS Provider: 00005F.