We call this idea “ShareAlike” and it is one of the mechanisms that (if chosen) helps the digital commons grow over time. These common features serve as the baseline, on top of which licensors can choose to grant additional permissions when deciding how they want their work to be used.Ī Creative Commons licensor answers a few simple questions on the path to choosing a license - first, do I want to allow commercial use or not, and then second, do I want to allow derivative works or not? If a licensor decides to allow derivative works, she may also choose to require that anyone who uses the work - we call them licensees - to make that new work available under the same license terms. Every Creative Commons license works around the world and lasts as long as applicable copyright lasts (because they are built on copyright).
Every Creative Commons license also ensures licensors get the credit for their work they deserve. Every license helps creators - we call them licensors if they use our tools - retain copyright while allowing others to copy, distribute, and make some uses of their work - at least non-commercially. All Creative Commons licenses have many important features in common.
