A Dictionary of Creative Commons (CC) Licenses: BY, NC, ND, SA

What exactly does a mark like "CC BY-NC" attached beneath an image or piece of writing mean? Here's everything explained in one place.

BY (Attribution) — Basic elements

Included in all CC licenses by default. A condition requiring that when a work is used, the original creator's name, the source, and the license type be credited. This is a base element included in all six Creative Commons (CC) license types.

NC (NonCommercial) — Basic elements

A condition stating that the work may not be used for commercial purposes. It can be used freely only in non-profit-seeking contexts, such as a personal blog or educational material.

ND (NoDerivatives) — Basic elements

A condition stating that the work may only be used in its original, unaltered form, and cannot be modified or restructured into a derivative work.

SA (ShareAlike) — Basic elements

A condition that allows a work to be modified or combined with other works to create something new, but requires that the resulting work also be released under the same license terms as the original.

CC BY — 6 combined licenses

The most permissive license. The most open Creative Commons license, allowing free commercial use, modification, and redistribution as long as the creator is credited.

CC BY-SA — 6 combined licenses

Attribution + ShareAlike. A license that allows free commercial use and modification as long as the creator is credited, but requires that any derivative work also be released under the same license. Widely used on platforms like Wikipedia.

CC BY-NC — 6 combined licenses

Attribution + NonCommercial. A license that allows free use and modification only for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to the creator.

CC BY-NC-SA — 6 combined licenses

Attribution + NonCommercial + ShareAlike. A license that allows modification as long as attribution and the non-commercial condition are observed, but requires that the resulting work also carry the same license conditions.

CC BY-ND — 6 combined licenses

Attribution + NoDerivatives. A license that allows free distribution, including for commercial use, with attribution, but does not permit modifying the content or creating derivative works.

CC BY-NC-ND — 6 combined licenses

The most restrictive license. The most restrictive Creative Commons license, allowing distribution only with attribution, in unaltered original form, and only for non-commercial purposes. Both modification and commercial use are prohibited.

CC0 (Public Domain Dedication) — Other markings

A mark for voluntarily waiving copyright. A declaration by which a creator waives their copyright to the fullest extent possible, placing the work in the public domain. Anyone can use it freely, even without crediting the creator.

Public Domain Mark — Other markings

A mark used for a work whose copyright has already expired. A mark indicating that a work's copyright protection period has already ended, or that copyright never applied to it in the first place. Unlike CC0, where the creator voluntarily waives their rights, this mark is used to indicate that the copyright has already expired.

What is Creative Commons (CC)?

Creative Commons is a standardized licensing system that allows creators to share their work under a range of conditions falling somewhere between "All Rights Reserved" and "No Rights Reserved (public domain)." It combines four basic elements — Attribution (BY), NonCommercial (NC), NoDerivatives (ND), and ShareAlike (SA) — to create a total of six license types.

Want to add an attribution watermark to an image?

If you want to add creator attribution directly onto an image to meet CC license conditions, our image watermark generator can help with that as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use anything marked with a CC license completely for free, without restriction?

No, the conditions differ depending on the license type. For example, a work marked CC BY-NC cannot be used for commercial purposes, and a work marked CC BY-ND cannot have its content modified. Before actually using a work, you must always check the exact license conditions indicated on that specific work.

Are CC0 and the public domain the same thing?

They're similar, but they come about in different ways. CC0 is a mark through which a creator actively declares they are waiving their own copyright, while the public domain mark indicates that copyright has already expired — for example, because the protection period has ended.