Creative Commons Licenses

Creative Commons licenses make it easy to find and use images, videos, audio, and other materials that are free to use without requesting permission from the copyright holder.

Before Creative Commons, using others’ work in presentations, articles, or web projects required either finding materials in the public domain or risking copyright infringement.

Creative Commons licensing supports EMU’s commitment to open access and educational sharing. By using or applying CC licenses, you help expand access to knowledge while maintaining appropriate attribution.

To understand how Creative Commons fits within copyright, it helps to review a few key facts.

The current copyright system is complicated and confusing. Basic facts about copyright are:

• Copyright is a bundle of rights regarding the use, reproduction, and public performance of materials.
• Nearly all creative works are automatically copyrighted once they exist in a fixed form, including images, videos, photographs, and audiorecordings.
• Copyright of materials lasts for the life of the creator/author, plus 70 years. For corporate or institutional works, copyright lasts 95 years from publication..
• Copyright holders can decide which rights to retain and which to share. Creative Commons licenses make it simple for creators to grant permission in advance for certain uses..

For more information about copyright, visit our Copyright Guide.