Marking
Contents
Best Practices for Marking Content with CC Licensing
A CC license is only effective if others have a way of knowing about it. It is important to clearly mark your content so that others are aware of what permissions they have. One way to do this is to copy the code snippet from the license chooser and paste it into the HTML of your website. It is also recommended you display the license within the work itself, especially if your content will be shared online or displayed in a physical medium. Different types of content will have different limitations, but your mark should contain:
- The full URI (link) to the license. Example: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/.
- A visible notation (most commonly text) that states the license being used. Example: Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
- Optionally, the Creative Commons license icons, including the CC logo.
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NOTE: Because each CC license represents a different set of permissions and restrictions, it is important to note the specific license used. Displaying only the CC icon, “Creative Commons”, or “Some Rights Reserved” is insufficient; always include the full URL. |
CC icons may be downloaded from http://creativecommons.org/about/downloads/. Markers and video bumpers are available and you can also make your own. You may also want to include a copyright notice stating the author(s) and date of creation. The phrase “Some Rights Reserved” may be used to differentiate from the default “All Rights Reserved” copyright notice. You may also choose to use the background color of the license for your mark.
In order for others to credit you for your work, it is preferable to provide an attribution name and URL. If your work is a derivative or remix, you must also properly attribute the original creator(s). Unless the creator(s) have specified otherwise, displaying their name(s) and a URL (if applicable) is adequate attribution.
See Also: Tagging
Marking Specific Media
Due to the constraints of various media, it is not always possible for your mark to include all of the above. For details on how to mark specific media, please select your medium:
Marking Specific Formats
To mark a PDF or other XMP-supported file, save this template following these instructions.
To mark a Microsoft Office word document, you can use the Microsoft Office add-ins for Office 2003/XP or Office 2007
To add a Creative Commons license to your Blogger, Movable Type, and Typepad blog, see this guide.
Marking on Specific Sites
Guides to help you CC license your material on specific sites are listed below:
Publishing your licensed music to the Internet Archive
Publishing your licensed music to Soundclick
Posting your licensed images at Flickr
Posting your licensed images at Buzznet
Publishing your licensed video at the Internet Archive
Publishing your licensed music to the Morpheus P2P network
Adding a Creative Commons license to your blog (Blogger, Movable Type, and Typepad)
Crediting Material in Your Work
It is also important to credit the Creative Commons licensed material in your work appropriately. In general it is best to have a list of what material you used with the material's title, author name, and license information with appropriate links from each piece of information. This can be done in many ways for each media type.
Crediting in Video
Adding the appropriate credit information to you videos could be as simple as a list of the works used at the end with their associated license. Eg:
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This video features the following songs- “Desaprendere (Treatment)” by fourstones, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license. “Some Other Song” by fourstones, available under a Creative Commons Attribution license. |
If possible it is desirable to make the title, author, and license a link the viewer can follow.
Crediting in Text
A similar format to the Video example above would be sufficient with the added ability to create links for text available online.
Crediting in Audio
If available online provide a "credit list" of material used and follow the above Text guidelines.
Crediting in Images
If available online provide a "credit list" of material used and follow the above Text guidelines.
Download Markers
- For images & documents:
- For audio:
- For video:
More Technical
We also have a document about marking works that is more technical.
External Guides and Fact Sheets
- Molly Kleinman's excellent, easy to read article CC HowTo #1: How to Attribute a Creative Commons licensed work - includes illustrative examples.
