Creative Commons

Creative Commons Licenses work within the boundaries of traditional copyright by allowing copyright holders to maintain their inherent copyright while at the same time sharing the content in various degrees for re-use. The CC license allows copyright holders to specify the exact manner in which others may use their work without permission. The base element of a CC license is attribution. which requires that the user provide the preferred attribution and citation as provided or specified by the copyright holder. 

There are four elements, which may be used in a CC license, to equal six different types of licenses. There are three non-commercial licenses and three commercial licenses, these two groups of licenses are incompatible, so care must be taken when re-mixing and adapting content.

The Creative Commons website provides in-depth information on selecting a license, license compatibility issues, and best practices for attribution. Also, it is an excellent resource for finding CC-licensed content see CC Search.