Creative Commons
Whenever you create something, for example; music, a document, or a paper, it is automatically considered copyrighted in the United States. Copyright law gives creators control over their creative work. If people want to use copyrighted work, they have to ask for permission from the creator.
Creative Commons works within copyright law. It allows creators to grant permissions to everyone in the world to use their work by types of licenses. Think of the licenses as overlaying or amending the copyright use.
- Creative CommonsCreative Commons is a global nonprofit organization that enables sharing and reuse of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools, with affiliates all over the world who help ensure our licenses work internationally and raise awareness about our work. Our tools are free, and our reach is wide.
- Copyright and Creative Commons are FriendsCopyright and Creative Commons are Friends helps you understand the connection between Creative Commons and copyright law.
One condition of all CC licenses is attribution.
- Creative Commons Attributions ChartThis chart indicates the different attributions used in Creative Commons.
Creative Commons on YouTube
The ability to mark uploaded videos with a Creative Commons license is available to all creators.
The standard YouTube license remains the default setting for all uploads. To review the terms of the standard YouTube license, refer to the YouTube Terms of Service.
Creative Commons licenses can only be used on 100% original content. If there's a Content ID claim on your video, you cannot mark your video with the Creative Commons license.
By marking your original video with a Creative Commons license, you're granting the entire YouTube community the right to reuse and edit that video.
What's Eligible for a Creative Commons License
You can only mark your uploaded video with a Creative Commons license if it's all content that you can license under the CC BY license. Some examples of such licensable content are:
- Your originally created content
- Other videos marked with a CC BY license
- Videos in the public domain (see links and video below)
- Creative Commons Content IDContent owners can set Content ID to block material from YouTube when a claim is made. They can also allow the video to remain live on YouTube with ads. In those cases, the advertising revenue goes to the copyright owners of the claimed content.
- Public Domain Explained by Stanford University LibrariesWelcome to the Public Domain
- Public Domain SliderInteractive tool to help you evaluate whether a work has entered the public domain