Unit 1: What is Creative Commons?
Creative Commons is a set of legal tools and a nonprofit organization, as well as a global network and a movement — all inspired by people’s willingness to share their creativity and knowledge, and enabled by a set of open copyright licenses.
Creative Commons began in response to an outdated global copyright legal system. CC licenses are built on copyright and are designed to give more options to creators who want to share. Over time, the role and value of Creative Commons has expanded. This unit will introduce you to where CC came from and where it is headed.
This unit has two sections:
1.1 The Story of Creative Commons
There are also Additional Resources if you are interested in learning more about any of the topics covered in this unit.
Note: Completing the CC Certificate does not entitle learners to provide legal advice on copyright or open licensing. The content in this course and the information Certificate facilitators share with others is also not legal advice. While you should not provide legal advice to others based on course content, you will develop a high level of expertise upon completion of this course. You will learn a lot about copyright, open licensing, and open practices in various communities. Upon graduation, you should feel comfortable sharing the facts about copyright and open licensing, case studies, and good open practices.