LibGuides: Creative Commons: Finding & using Creative Commons works

Creative Commons: The Ins & Outs

Using Creative Commons is pretty simple.

All you need to do is find a Creative Commons work. Make sure the licence on that work allows you to use it the way you want, and then use the work, making sure to attribute the work as fully and correctly as possible. Licence your resulting masterpiece with Creative Commons - if you can and if required to by a ShareAlike licence - and that's it! You've used Creative Commons successfully and legally.

Flip through the other tabs in this box to learn how to find Creative Commons works, what all the CC licences mean., and how to stay legal by attributing the work you find in the right way.

The Creative Commons logo is displayed under fair use.

There are six different Creative Commons licences, each with their own limitations and requirements. You can find out more about the licences on the Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand website's licences page.

ATTRIBUTION

This licence lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon a work, even commercially, as long as they credit the creator for the original creation.

ATTRIBUTION-NONCOMMERCIAL

This licence lets others remix, tweak, and build upon a work non-commercially with credit to the creator (all new works must also be non-commercial).

ATTRIBUTION-SHAREALIKE

This licence lets others remix, tweak, and build upon a work even for commercial purposes, as long as they credit the creator and license their new creations under the identical terms.

ATTRIBUTION-NONCOMMERCIAL-SHAREALIKE

This licence lets others remix, tweak, and build upon a work non-commercially, as long as they credit the creator and license their new creations under the identical terms.

ATTRIBUTION-NO DERIVATIVES

This licence allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as it is passed along unchanged and in whole, with credit to the creator.

ATTRIBUTION-NONCOMMERCIAL-NO DERIVATIVES

This licence is the most restrictive of the six main licences, only allowing others to download a work and share them as long as they credit the creator. They can’t change them in any way or use them commercially.

Remember: ALWAYS make sure before you use a work that you are using it in accordance with the terms of its Creative Commons licence. Otherwise, you are in violation of copyright.

Much of the licence text and images used here is by Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand, and is licenced under CC BY 3.0 Attribution. Some has been altered by the Wintec Library for clarity. Some of this material is based on material at www.creativecommons.org which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported licence.

There are a number of different ways to find Creative Commons licenced works. We've listed some resources here to get you started.

Remember that it is up to you to make sure that the work you are using is legitimately licenced under Creative Commons. If using another person's work without direct permission from the copyright holder, ONLY use Creative Commons works and ONLY use them as the Creative Commons licence designates.

Creative Commons Search
Creative Commons Search NOT a search engine, but rather offers convenient access to search services provided by other independent organizations. Always double check that the works you find are Creative Commons licenced before you use them.
Digital NZ
Use DigitalNZ to discover millions of NZ items from the digital stores of libraries, museums, archives, communities, and government.
Google Image Search
Use Google Image Search to search for something, and then filter your results using 'Search tools' at the top of the page. Select the 'Usage rights' you need, and let the page reload. Always double check that the works you find are Creative Commons licenced before you use them.
Public Domain Flicks
A repository of full-length feature films that are in the public domain, available for free use.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud allows you to search for Creative Commons music. Perform a basic search on SoundCloud, and then filter the results by Sounds only. Then, filter the results again so that you can find sounds to use or modify commercially. Always double check that the works you find are Creative Commons licenced before you use them.
Freesound
Freesound is a collaborative database of Creative Commons licensed sounds.
Flickr - Creative Commons
Use Flickr to find Creative Commons photographs! Always double check that the works you find are Creative Commons licenced before you use them.
everystockphoto
everystockphoto allows you to use the advanced search option to filter their supply of stock photos by Creative Commons licence.
Open Clipart
All clipart on Openclipart is public domain - creators agree to waive all rights to work upon upload.
Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
Around 50,000 online maps - some free for use, some with copyright restrictions. Double check that the maps you find are not copyright-protected before you use them.
The REALIA Project
The REALIA Project publishes faculty-reviewed media for the teaching and study of modern languages and cultures. Faculty and students at all levels are encouraged to contribute materials to our searchable, online database.
Shades 1.0
A Creative Commons licenced wireframing kit with over 100 different elements to help you map out your website or app project

There is plenty more out there to find, so head to your favourite search engine and get looking. Using the search term 'Creative Commons' and the variety of work you're keen on is a good place to start, and you can also search 'Creative Commons resources' to get lists of different resources that may interest you.

Always make sure that the eventual works you find really are Creative Commons licenced, and that you use them legally, with correct attribution.

"Creative Commons logo español" by claudio ruiz is licenced under CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic

YouTube
YouTube allows you to filter for Creative Commons videos. Simply type in a search, then click the 'Filter' dropdown menu and select 'Creative Commons'. Always double check that the works you find are Creative Commons licenced before you use them.

The most complex - and the most important! - part of using Creative Commons is making sure that your attribution is correct. There are a few different ways to do this, but they all have the same basic elements:

You must list the title of the original work and link to that work in its original form (if possible).
You must list the creator of the original work and link to that creator (if possible).
You must list the Creative Commons licence the work is licenced under and link to the Creative Commons deed for that licence (if possible).

This means that acceptable attribution can take several forms, depending on how you use the work and how you present your work. As long as you include these elements, you are attributing correctly. The Creative Commons Wiki has a page on best practice attribution.

An example of attribution possibilities:

1. "Creative Commons Classic Buttons" by Creative Commons HQ is licenced under CC Attribution 2.0 Generic

2. Creative Commons Classic Buttons by Creative Commons HQ

Keep in mind that here at Wintec, attribution isn't all you'll need to do if you're using a Creative Commons work in an assignment or presentation. You'll also need to reference the work properly with APA Referencing.

Check out our Wintec APA Guides below to make sure all your referencing is correct.

APA Referencing FAQs
Didn't find it in the other two Guides? Try here!