Creative Commons
Creative Commons licenses simplify and standardize the process of granting permission for others to use creative works. As a creator, this is useful for defining how you would like others to be able to use your work and enabling them to do so relatively easily. As someone looking to reuse the work of others, these licenses clarify whether and how you may use the work and can be used as a filter to find works that can definitely be legally shared.
All Creative Commons licenses allow works to be shared, but different CC licenses place different conditions on sharing. By including or not including the following elements in their CC license, the creator decides whether those sharing the work:
- must give attribution to the creator (BY)
- must share the work or adaptation of the work under the same CC license( SA for Share Alike)
- may not use the work for commercial purposes (NC for Non-Commercial)
- may not adapt the work (ND for No Derivatives)
Finding Sharable Images
CC licenses simplify the search for sharable images. Either search in a source you know only has works with licenses you’re able to use or search filtering by license types you’re be able to use.
Here’s a list of places you can search:

Attribution
Now that you have a legally sharable image, the best way to give attribution is to list the name of the image, followed by the creator and the source (and/or license type) of the image. This is the ideal, sometimes this information isn’t given, but give as much as you can and enough to establish that the image is being used correctly – it’s why sources can be so important.
“Image name” by Creator from Source

Integrate CC Licenses into Your Work
Have you ever recognized one of your own powerpoint slides in a colleague’s presentation or noticed an assignment you created being used by someone else? While it is great to support your colleagues and share with others, it can be frustrating when your contribution is not acknowledged. This is where CC licenses really come in handy. They can encourage greater visibility of your work through attribution and help others use your materials responsibly.
Add your name and relevant Creative Commons license to templates you use regularly (i.e. text or slides) so that this information is included by default when you create a new document. If you create images, consider uploading them to a source that requires CC licensing or ensure that the source you upload them to allows you to include licensing information (and set your chosen CC license as the default).
Takeaway
People will wonder what they can use of someone else’s work whether it’s an image, text, slide, code or classroom activity. Naming a license helps others to know how to use the work properly and respectfully. In short, licenses clarify the responsibilities and expectations related to sharing.
References
“About CC Licenses”. Creative Commons. 2019: https://creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/