Introduction

What is the legal foundation upon which Creative Commons licences operate? Why is it so important?

Creative Commons licences are copyright licences. They apply where and when copyright applies. This reflects a fundamental design decision by the founders of Creative Commons. Given that the goal was to make more creative and educational works available under common-sense terms, CC wanted to ensure that its licences were not used to restrict works or uses of works that copyright does not restrict. This is a core CC value, and making sure that the language of the licences tracks copyright law accomplished this goal.