A Creative Commons (CC) license is different from regular copyright in that it is a public copyright license that allows creators to grant specific usage rights to others while retaining copyright ownership. Regular copyright automatically reserves all rights to the creator, allowing no use without explicit permission except under fair use. In contrast, Creative Commons licenses provide a flexible range of permissions, from very permissive, allowing free use and adaptation with attribution, to more restrictive ones that limit commercial use or modifications. Essentially, CC licenses are built on copyright but enable creators to share their work more freely by pre- defining allowed uses without needing to grant individual permissions.

Key Differences

• Control and Flexibility: Regular copyright grants full control to the creator, requiring explicit permission for any use. CC licenses allow creators to specify what uses they allow upfront, such as allowing sharing but restricting commercial use or derivative works.
• Automatic vs. Optional: Copyright protection is automatic upon creation, whereas Creative Commons licenses must be explicitly applied by the creator.
• Duration and Revocability: Copyright lasts for the creator's life plus 70 years and can provide long-term protection. CC licenses generally cannot be revoked once granted unless the license term expires or is violated.
• Purpose: Copyright is primarily protective, while CC licenses are designed to balance protection with sharing and community benefit by enabling wider distribution and reuse under certain conditions.

Summary of Common CC License Elements

• BY (Attribution): Users must credit the creator.
• SA (ShareAlike): Derivative works must carry the same license.
• NC (NonCommercial): Only non-commercial uses are allowed.
• ND (NoDerivatives): No modifications of the work are allowed.

These elements can be combined to tailor the terms under which others can use the work, unlike regular copyright's all-rights-reserved default.