Types of Creative Commons Licenses

Creative Commons has several different types of licenses that help people choose exactly how and why other people can share their work. Your specific needs and goals will determine which, if any, of the creative copyright licenses is best for you and your work.

Attribution CC BY

This is the most open license. Other people and organizations can use, transform, or build on your work for commercial or noncommercial interests. However, they must cite you as the original creator. This gives others the most power over using your original work.  The new works do not have to be licensed under the same terms.

• Example: Under this license, if you took a photo of a daisy, Person A could share the photo with their friends, edit the photo, use it in an ad for their local volunteer group, or use it as part of their business logo. In every instance, they must state that they got the original photo from you.

 

Attribution ShareAlike CC BY-SA

This license lets other people and organizations can use, transform, or build on your work for commercial or noncommercial interests, so long as they cite you and the new works are listed under the same terms. This keeps the culture of open information and resources going. As more works are licensed under this agreement, more and more derivative works will have the same licensing terms.

• Example: Person A can take your daisy photo, change it, modify it, and redistribute it for their business, local nonprofit group, or just put it in a frame at home. But the new work must be licensed under the same agreement and cited to you. Person B can now take the modified daisy picture and use it, modify it, and post it to their own business or nonprofit website, but it still must be licensed under the same Attribution ShareAlike CC BY-SA agreement.

 

Attribution-Noncommercial CC BY-NC

This license lets other people and organizations can use, transform, or build on your work for noncommercial purposes only. The other person or organization must cite you, but the new works do not have to be licensed under the same terms.

• Example: Person A still loves your daisy photo. They can crop it, modify it, or hang it up in their house, but they can’t use it for their business or to make a profit. Person A can choose how to license the new, modified work, but they must list you as the original creator.

 

Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA

This license lets other people and organizations use, transform, or build on your work for noncommercial purposes only. The other person or organization must cite you and the new work must be licensed under the same terms.

• Example: Person A can take your daisy photo modify it or change it however they want as long as it’s for noncommercial purposes. They have to state you are the original creator, and the new work must be licensed under the same exact terms. Person B can take the new work and change it, modify it, and use it again for other noncommercial purposes. The modified works must be licensed by an Attribution-Noncommercial -ShareAlike  CC BY-NC-SA agreement.

 

Attribution ShareAlike CC BY-ND

This license states that works can be distributed by other people and organizations for commercial and noncommercial purposes. However, the work must remain unchanged, whole, and credited to you.

• Example: Person A can take your daisy picture and use it for their personal business or local nonprofit group. They cannot crop the photo, change it, add effects, or modify it in any way. The photo must remain the same whether it is used for a personal business or nonprofit, and the work must cite you as the original creator.

 

Attribution-Noncommercial-NoDervis CC BY-NC-ND

This is the most restrictive license creative commons offers. Other people and organizations can distribute and share your work with others. You must be cited and the work cannot be changed in any way. The work cannot be used for commercial interests.

• Example: Person A can take your daisy photo exactly as it is and use it only for noncommercial purposes. Person A can hang the photo in their house, but they can’t attempt to change or modify the photo in any way.  They must state that you are the original creator.