Overview

The story of Creative Commons (CC) begins with copyright. CC licences are built on copyright and are designed to give more options to creators who want to share. Over time, the role and value of Creative Commons has expanded.

CC’s founders recognised the mismatch between what technology enables and what copyright restricts, and they provided an alternative approach for creators who want to share their work. Today that approach is used by millions of creators around the globe. To understand how a set of copyright licences could inspire a global movement, you need to know a bit about the history of Creative Commons. This unit focuses on this important background information.