Creative+Commons

Creative Commons http://creativecommons.org/

A Creative Commons license allows creators to place conditions on their copyrights. Traditionally, copyrights restrict the rights of others from modifying or distributing copywritten works. Creative Commons licenses offer flexibility by allowing the creator (copyright holder) the ability to choose what limitations they want in place with respect to specific copywritten works.Creative Commons

**Examples of Creative Common License Options** A Creative Commons license enables copyright holders to grant some of their rights to the public while retaining other rights. **//NonCommercial//** - A non-commercial license lets others copy, distribute, perform creative works and derivative works, but only for noncommercial purposes (anyone using the creative works cannot profit from it). **//ShareAlike//** - A ShareAlike license allows others to distribute derivative works under a license identical to the one held by the original copyright holder. **//NoDerivative Works//** - A NoDerivative Works clause allows others to copy, distribute, display and perform the exact copywritten works and no derivative works can be created. **//Attribution//** - An Attribution license means creative works can be copied, distributed, displayed, or performed and derivative works can be created, provided that appropriate credit to the original copyright holder is given. Many artists feel that a Creative Commons license increases their exposure but still allows them to retain their rights to the creative works, striking a balance between ownership, credit and use. Ultimately, a Creative Commons license enables copyright holders to grant some of their rights to the public while retaining others; with Creative Commons the copyright holder retains the flexibility to control the rights to their creative works.