The internet has made the creation and sharing of creative works much easier than it has ever been. Most of these new works are protected by copyright as soon as they are created. But not everyone wants to lock up their creativity behind the protection of copyright. Many people want their work to be freely shared and even built upon.

Creative Commons (CC) was developed out of the desire to make it easier to share and use copyrighted works. Creative Commons allows a creator to grant licenses to their work that could include the ability to share, adapt and/or use material for commercial purposes without having to ask for permission. The creators still own the copyright, but they proactively decide to let others use their works under certain conditions.

Creative Commons allows a creator to grant licenses to their work without requiring they grant individual permission.