Introduction

Why are there so many different Creative Commons licences?

There is no single Creative Commons licence. The CC licence suite (which includes the six CC licences) and the CC0 public domain dedication offer creators a range of options. Creative Commons licences are standardised tools, but part of the vision is to provide a range of options for creators who are interested in sharing their works with the public rather than reserving all rights under copyright.

As we saw earlier in this unit, the four licence elements – BY, SA, NC and ND – can be combined to create six different licence options.

All of the licences include the BY condition. In other words, all licences require that the creator be attributed in connection with their work. Beyond that commonality, the licences vary depending on whether commercial use of the work is permitted, and the work can be adapted (and if so, on what terms).