Licensing

Here’s a clear, complete list of all current Creative Commons (CC) licenses, along with what each one allows and restricts — from most open to most restrictive:


🟢 1. CC0 1.0 Universal (Public Domain Dedication)

Short name: CC0
Summary: The creator waives all rights, placing the work in the public domain.
You can: Copy, modify, distribute, and use it commercially — without permission or attribution.
You must: Nothing.
Best for: Open data, educational resources, or when the creator wants no restrictions at all.


🟢 2. Attribution (CC BY)

Full name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
You can: Copy, share, remix, transform, and build upon the work, even commercially.
You must: Give appropriate credit to the creator.
Best for: Artists or creators who want maximum use and exposure, with just credit required.


🟢 3. Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)

You can: Copy, remix, transform, and build upon the work, even commercially.
You must:

  • Give credit, and

  • License your new work under the same license (ShareAlike).
    Best for: Collaborative projects (like Wikipedia) where everyone shares improvements openly.


🟡 4. Attribution-NoDerivatives (CC BY-ND)

You can: Copy and distribute, even commercially.
You must:

  • Give credit, and

  • Not change or modify the work in any way.
    Best for: Photographers, writers, or artists who want sharing but no edits or remixes.


🟡 5. Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)

You can: Copy, share, remix, and build upon the work.
You must:

  • Give credit, and

  • Not use the work for commercial purposes.
    Best for: Educational, personal, or non-profit use.


🟠 6. Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA)

You can: Remix, adapt, and build upon the work non-commercially.
You must:

  • Give credit, and

  • License new creations under the same terms (ShareAlike).
    Best for: Non-profit or educational projects that promote open collaboration.


🔴 7. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)

You can: Share the work as-is, non-commercially.
You must:

  • Give credit,

  • Not modify it, and

  • Not use it commercially.
    Best for: Works you want people to share widely but not change or profit from.


Visual Summary Table

License Abbreviation Commercial Use? Derivatives Allowed? Must Credit? ShareAlike?
CC0 CC0 ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Attribution CC BY ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No
Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Attribution-NoDerivatives CC BY-ND ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes ❌ No
Attribution-NonCommercial CC BY-NC ❌ No ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA ❌ No ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives CC BY-NC-ND ❌ No ❌ No ✅ Yes ❌ No