
Creative Commons licences (reuse)
When content is created copyright on it is automatically assigned under UK law. The creator doesn't need to use the copyright symbol or assert their rights as creator, the very fact that they have given the idea a fixed form means that they own the copyright. You can’t ignore copyright when reusing resources, but you can ensure you stay legal by only using licensed content.
The Creative Commons (CC) licensing movement was set up to enable creators to specify how they would like their content to be used. CC licences are legally binding and internationally recognised. CC licensed content is easy to reuse as the licence states exactly what you can and can’t do with the content. They are made up of five main components which are combined to specify how a resource can be reused:
- CC = Creative Commons - Signifies a legally binding Creative Commons licence.
- BY = Attribution - You must cite the original source when reusing content.
- ND = No Derivatives - You must not alter or change the content when reusing it.
- SA = Share Alike - You must license your new resource under the same terms when reusing content.
- NC = Non-Commercial - You must not make commercial gain from your new resource when reusing content.
You will normally find a number of these elements have been added together to produce a licence. The next page gives some examples.