Creative Commons是一个非营利组织，它帮助创建一个大型的创意作品库，供个人和企业免费共享和(share and work)使用。作为创作者，您可以通过Creative Commons申请免费许可，让您可以与公众分享您的作品。
作为寻找内容的人，您可以自由使用 Creative Commons 许可的作品，例如艺术品、照片、教育论文、科学研究或音乐(research or music)，只要您遵守创作者署名的规则。
知识共享(Commons)在我们这个创意驱动的世界中提供的好处是无法估量的。让我们仔细看看它是如何工作的，为什么它对创意内容如此强大，以及每个许可证是如何工作的。
什么是知识共享以及它是如何工作的？(What Is Creative Commons and How Does It Work?)
知识共享(Commons)的建立是为了提供版权的替代方案。当个人使用您的作品时，您无需发布 DMCA 删除和版权警示，而是获取知识共享许可(DMCA)，(Commons license)以便其他人可以自由使用您的作品，只要他们正确地信任您。
作为艺术创作者(art creator)，您可以将您的艺术作品、照片或音乐(photos or music)呈现在更多观众面前，并帮助(audience and help)您发展品牌。分享你的工作而不是把它抱在胸前，你也会有一种模糊的感觉。(fuzzy feeling)
作为需要艺术或音乐(art or music)的创作者，只要您正确注明作者，您就可以使用知识共享许可的内容。官方知识共享网站(Creative Commons website)为此提供了指南，但它本质上意味着包括作者姓名的书面信用、作品的标题、源链接和许可证链接。有些许可证有一些限制，我们稍后会解释。
让我们举一个例子，说明知识共享(Creative Commons)如何对艺术家和内容创作者都有益。假设一位音乐艺术家(music artist)正在创作伟大的器乐，但他们很难推广它。如果艺术家为他们的歌曲获得免费的知识共享(Creative Commons)许可，他们可以在YouTube 和 Soundcloud(YouTube and Soundcloud)等平台上将其宣传为无版权。
例如，内容创作者在YouTube 或 Instagram 上(YouTube or Instagram)为他们的视频搜索背景音乐，然后可以使用艺术家的音乐，并在他们的(background music)视频描述或标题(video description or caption)中包含正确的归属。
最终结果(end result)将是内容创建者(content creator)可以创建更高质量的内容(quality content)，并且由于内容创建者(content creator)的观众的新兴趣，艺术家可能会获得更多对其内容的看法。
有哪些知识共享许可？(What Creative Commons Licenses Are There?)
Creative Commons 的优点在于有许多许可证可供选择，让艺术家和研究人员能够更好地控制他们如何分享他们的作品。我们将在下面解释这些许可证中的每一个是如何工作的。
如果您希望使用 Creative Commons 许可的作品，您必须在使用前检查内容所拥有的许可，因为会应用一些使用限制，如下所示。
归因（抄送）
使用标准的知识(Creative) 共享(Commons) 署名许可(attribution license)，其他人可以共享、重新混合、编辑和分发作品。他们甚至可以自由地在商业上分发它，只要他们正确地相信作者。
署名-相同方式共享 (CC BY-SA)
Attribution ShareAlike类似于标准的署名许可(attribution license)。它允许其他人使用、编辑混音(edit remix)、转售和重新分发作品，但任何重新分发的作品也将包含相同的Attribution-ShareAlike 许可证(Attribution-ShareAlike license)。
Attribution 和 Attribution ShareAlike(Attribution and Attribution ShareALike)之间的区别在于，个人可以自由地将标准版权许可(copyright license)与他们创建的任何使用标准Creative Commons CC BY 作品(Creative Commons CC BY work)的作品一起放置。使用知识共享署名-相同方式共享，这是不可能的。
Attribution-NoDerivs (CC BY-ND)
有了这个许可，其他人可以重复使用许可作品，甚至是商业用途，但他们不能分享它的改编版本，他们必须始终归功于原作者。
署名-非商业性 ( CC BY-NC )
使用 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license，其他人可以重新混合、编辑和改编许可作品，但他们无权将其提供商业用途。如果使用此许可，则任何重新混合或编辑的作品都可以由其新所有者拥有版权。
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike ( CC BY-NC-SA )
使用 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike，许可作品可以进行编辑、重新混合和构建，但不能用于商业用途，并且新编辑的作品不能受版权保护——新编辑的作品必须具有相同的Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 许可证(Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license)。
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs ( CC BY-NC-ND )
这是最严格的知识共享(Commons)许可，但它仍然为其他人提供了使用您的作品的一些自由。其他人可以下载和分享您的作品，只要他们注明作者，但他们不能以任何方式更改作品，也不能将其用于商业用途。
如何获得知识共享许可(How To Get a Creative Commons License)
它是完全免费的，而且很容易获得知识共享许可(Commons license)。首先(First)访问知识共享共享您的工作(Creative Commons share your work)页面并完成这些步骤。确保(Make)输入您的姓名、作品的标题和正确的URL(URLS)。该网站将根据您选择的选项挑选许可证。
然后，您将获得媒体、文本和 HTML 代码(text and HTML code)，以在线显示您的许可证。知识共享(Commons)许可可以在法庭上强制执行(enforceable in a court of law)，并且有证据表明这一点(is evidence of this)，但您需要与律师或您的法律团队讨论要采取的正确步骤。
如何在线查找知识共享内容(How To Find Creative Commons Content Online)
如果您是寻找知识共享内容的创作者，您会很高兴听到有一些出色的搜索工具可用于在线查找知识共享内容(Commons content)。我们编制了一些可用资源的列表。
从直接内置于官方知识(Creative)共享网站的(Commons website)搜索引擎(search engine)开始是有意义的。该工具将在他们的整个数据库中搜索知识共享(Commons)图像。您还可以过滤搜索文件类型(file type)、来源，甚至按许可证类型(license type)。
例如，如果您需要查找可以修改和重新分发的内容，您可以过滤BY和BY-SA许可证。
Google拥有强大的高级工具，可让您快速按使用权限进行过滤。转到Google图片，搜索短语，然后单击工具(Tools )按钮。之后，单击使用权限(Usage rights)下拉框，您将有许多选项。
选择一个选项，Google(option and Google)将自动过滤标有知识共享许可(Creative Commons license)、类似许可或属于公共领域的图像。就像(Just)选择具有正确知识共享许可(Creative Commons license)的内容时一样，请确保单击适合您需求 的正确搜索过滤器。(search filter)
以下(Below)是基于Google指南的概述。
- 标记为可重复使用：(Labelled for reuse:)如果内容保持未修改，使用此过滤器的图像可以重新分发，甚至可以商业化。
- 标记为可修改使用(Labelled for use with modification)：使用此过滤器的图像可以以任何方式更改和重新分发，甚至可以用于商业用途。
- 标记为非商业用途：(Labelled for noncommercial use:)您可能会发现选择此选项的更多搜索选项，但请记住，使用此过滤器的任何结果都不能用于商业用途。
Flickr是一项功能强大的图片托管服务(image hosting service)，以出色的摄影作品而闻名。搜索时，可以点击“任意许可”(any license” )下拉框选择知识共享(Commons)许可。
返回的结果都将在 Creative Commons下可用。单击(Click)每张照片以查看有关使用的许可证和归属详细信息的更多详细信息。
3D 建模是一项需要数年时间才能掌握的技能，因此很难找到可以使用的免费内容。但是，一个很棒的平台是Blender-Models 网站(Blender-Models website)，所有模型都有 CC 许可证，您可以按模型类别(model category)快速搜索。
没错，您甚至可以在 Creative Commons下找到免费音频。这包括用户提交的音效、歌曲和大气声音。只需(Simply)免费注册，进行搜索，然后单击搜索结果右侧的许可证过滤器。
对内容进行评级并显示下载次数，让您可以轻松找到各种内容的优质声音。
What Is Creative Commons & Explanation Of Each License
Creative Commonѕ is а non-profіt organization that helpѕ to create a large library of creаtive workѕ for individuаls and businеsses to share and work with for free. As a creаtor, you can claim free licenses through Creative Commоns which allows you to share your work to the public.
As somebody looking for content, you’re free to use Creative Commons licensed work such as artwork, photos, educational papers, scientific research or music, as long as you follow the rules for attributing the creators.
The benefit Creative Commons provides in our creative-driven world is immeasurable. Let’s take a closer look at how it all works, why it’s so powerful for creative content and how each license works.
What Is Creative Commons and How Does It Work?
Creative Commons has been built to offer an alternative to copyright. Instead of handing out DMCA takedowns and copyright strikes when an individual uses your work, you instead pick up a Creative Commons license so that others can freely use your work, so long as they credit you properly.
As an art creator, you can get your art, photos or music in front of a larger audience and help to grow your brand. You also get that fuzzy feeling that comes with sharing your work instead of holding it close to your chest.
As a creative in need of art or music, you are able to use Creative Commons licensed content so long as you credit authors properly. Guidelines are provided on the official Creative Commons website for this, but it essentially means including written credit of the author’s name, the title of the work, a link to the source and a link to the license. Some licenses have some restrictions, which we’ll explain later.
Let’s give an example of how Creative Commons can be beneficial to both artists and content creators. Let’s say a music artist is creating great instrumental music, but they are having a hard time promoting it. If the artist acquired free Creative Commons licenses for their songs, they could promote it as copyright free on platforms like YouTube and Soundcloud.
Content creators searching for background music for their videos on YouTube or Instagram, for example, could then use the artist’s music and include the correct attribution in their video description or caption.
The end result would be the content creator can create higher quality content, and the artist may get more views on their content thanks to new interest from the content creator’s audience.
What Creative Commons Licenses Are There?
What’s great about Creative Commons is that there are a number of licenses to choose from, giving artists and researchers more control over how they share their work. We will explain how each of these licenses work below.
If you are looking to use Creative Commons licensed work, you must check to see what license the content has before using it, because some restrictions for usage will apply, as you’ll see below.
Attribution (CC BY)
With the standard Creative Commons attribution license, others are able to share, remix, edit and distribute work. They are even given the freedom to distribute it commercially, so long as they credit the author properly.
Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)
Attribution ShareAlike is similar to the standard attribution license. It allows others to use, edit remix, re-sell and re-distribute work, but any redistributed work will also include the same Attribution-ShareAlike license.
The difference between Attribution and Attribution ShareALike is that an individual has the freedom to place a standard copyright license with any work they have created that uses standard Creative Commons CC BY work. With Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike, this isn’t possible.
Attribution-NoDerivs (CC BY-ND)
With this license, others can reuse licensed work, even commercially, but they cannot share adapted versions of it and they must always credit the original author.
Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)
With the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license, others can remix, edit, and adapt licensed work, but they do not have the right to offer it commercially. If this license is used, any remixed or edited work can then by copyrighted by its new owners.
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA)
With Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike, licensed work can be edited, remixed, and built upon, but it cannot be offered commercially, and new edited work cannot be copyrighted – the newly edited work must hold the same Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND)
This is the most restrictive Creative Commons license but it still gives some freedom for others to use your work. Others can download and share your work so long as they credit the author, but they cannot change the work in anyway and cannot use it commercially.
How To Get a Creative Commons License
It’s completely free and very easy to get a Creative Commons license. First visit the Creative Commons share your work page and go through the steps. Make sure to enter your name, the title of your work, and the right URLS. The website will pick out a license based on what options you select.
You’ll then be given the media, text and HTML code to display your license online. Creative Commons licenses can be enforceable in a court of law, and there is evidence of this, but you’ll need to speak to a lawyer or your legal team on the correct steps to take.
How To Find Creative Commons Content Online
If you’re a creator looking for creative commons content, you’ll be happy to hear that there are some excellent search tools available for finding Creative Commons content online. We’ve compiled a list of some of the greatest resources available.
It makes sense to start with the search engine built straight into the official Creative Commons website. This tool will search their entire database for Creative Commons images. You can also filter searches for file type, sources, and even by license type.
For example, if you need to find content you can modify and redistribute, you can filter for the BY and BY-SA licenses.
Google has powerful advanced tools that allows you to quickly filter by usage rights. Go to Google images, search for a phrase, and then click the Tools button. After that, click the Usage rights drop-down box and you’ll have a number of options.
Choose an option and Google will automatically filter images that are labelled with Creative Commons licenses, similar licenses, or are in the public domain. Just like when choosing content with the right Creative Commons license, make sure to click the right search filter that suits your needs.
Below is an overview, based on the guidelines from Google.
- Labelled for reuse: Images with this filter can be redistributed, even commercially, if the content remains unmodified.
- Labelled for use with modification: Images with this filter can be changed in any way and redistributed, even commercially.
- Labelled for noncommercial use: You may find more search options with this selected, but remember that any results with this filter cannot be for commercial use.
Flickr is a powerful image hosting service, most renowned for great photography. When you search, you can click the “any license” drop-down box to select Creative Commons licenses.
The returned results will all be available under Creative Commons. Click on each individual photo to see more details about what license is used and attribution details.
3D modelling is a skill that takes years to master, so it can be harder to find free content to use. However, one great platform is the Blender-Models website, where all models have CC licenses and you can quickly search by model category.
That’s right, you can even find free audio under Creative Commons. This includes user-submitted sound effects, songs, and atmospheric sounds. Simply sign up for free, make a search, and click the licenses filter on the right side of the search results.
Content is rated and download count is shown, making it very easy to find good quality sounds for all sorts of content.
