The seven Creative Commons licensing tools
Creative Commons (CC) licenses let creators grant reuse permissions in advance, while keeping (or waiving) copyright. There are six current standardised licenses plus the CC0 public-domain dedication — seven tools in total. Each is built from a small set of conditions: BY (attribution), SA (share-alike), NC (non-commercial) and ND (no derivatives). This reference shows all seven side by side so you can pick the right one or understand what a work permits.
How it works
Every current license includes BY — you must credit the author. From there, the optional elements stack. SA requires derivatives to use the same license. NC bans commercial use. ND bans distributing adaptations. CC0 sits outside this scheme: it waives copyright entirely, placing the work in (or as close as possible to) the public domain. Ranked from most to least permissive: CC0 → CC BY → CC BY-SA → CC BY-NC → CC BY-NC-SA → CC BY-ND → CC BY-NC-ND. Note that SA and ND are mutually exclusive — you can require share-alike or forbid derivatives, not both.
Each license in detail
CC0 — Public Domain Dedication
CC0 is not technically a license — it is a waiver of all copyright and related rights, placing the work in (or as close as legally possible to) the public domain. Reusers can do anything with the work without attribution, though crediting the creator remains good practice. CC0 is popular for data sets, government resources, and works where the creator wants the maximum possible uptake without any legal friction.
CC BY — Attribution
The most permissive license that retains copyright. Anyone can share, adapt, and use the work for any purpose, including commercially, as long as they give appropriate credit, link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. CC BY is used extensively in academic publishing (many open-access journals require it), Wikipedia, and open data initiatives.
CC BY-SA — Attribution-ShareAlike
Identical to CC BY in what it allows (any use including commercial), but adds the copyleft condition: if you adapt the work, you must release the adaptation under the same or a compatible license. This is the license used by Wikipedia and ensures derivatives remain open. CC BY-SA 4.0 is compatible with the GPLv3 for software.
CC BY-NC — Attribution-NonCommercial
Allows sharing and adaptation but only for non-commercial purposes. Commercial use requires separate permission from the creator. The boundary between commercial and non-commercial is deliberately flexible and has been the subject of legal commentary — using a work on a monetised website, in a corporate training, or to drive leads for a business has all been argued to be commercial.
CC BY-NC-SA — Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
Combines the non-commercial restriction with the share-alike condition. The most common license for creative works where the author wants derivatives to remain open and non-commercial. Used by some academic and cultural institutions.
CC BY-ND — Attribution-NoDerivatives
Allows any use including commercial, but forbids distributing modified versions. You can share the work in its original form, translate it for private use, or incorporate it into a larger work, but you may not distribute a modified version. The ND condition is popular with journalists, photographers, and creators who want maximum distribution without any modifications they cannot control.
CC BY-NC-ND — Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
The most restrictive of the six licenses — non-commercial use only, no derivatives distributed. Effectively a “read only” license: you may share the work as-is for non-commercial purposes but cannot modify or sell it. Often used for academic papers shared before commercial publication.
Comparing the licenses at a glance
| License | Commercial use | Derivatives | ShareAlike |
|---|---|---|---|
| CC0 | Yes | Yes | No |
| CC BY | Yes | Yes | No |
| CC BY-SA | Yes | Yes | Yes (same license) |
| CC BY-NC | No | Yes | No |
| CC BY-NC-SA | No | Yes | Yes (same license) |
| CC BY-ND | Yes | No | N/A |
| CC BY-NC-ND | No | No | N/A |
Attribution requirements: what “BY” means in practice
Every license except CC0 requires attribution. Under CC 4.0, proper attribution means:
- Crediting the creator in the manner they specified, or reasonably.
- Including the license title or a link to the license text.
- Indicating whether and what changes were made.
- Linking to the original work if the medium allows.
You do not need to obtain permission separately — the license itself is the permission, conditional on meeting these requirements. Failure to attribute is a copyright infringement, which voids your right to use the work.
The “NC” (non-commercial) ambiguity
The NonCommercial condition is the most frequently debated element of Creative Commons. Creative Commons defines it as “not primarily intended for or directed towards commercial advantage or monetary compensation,” but courts and legal experts have reached different conclusions about specific uses. When it matters for business decisions, obtain legal advice rather than relying on a general interpretation.
Tips and notes
- For maximum reuse with credit, choose CC BY; to dedicate to the public domain, choose CC0.
- ND licenses block distributing adaptations — avoid them if you want remixes, but they are good for works you want shared unchanged.
- NC is famously ambiguous; when in doubt about a specific commercial use, contact the rights holder.
- Always retain the license notice and attribution when you reuse a CC work — this is the minimum legal requirement for all six BY licenses.