Creative Commons is an international nonprofit organization that empowers people to grow and sustain the thriving commons of shared knowledge and culture we need to address the world's most pressing challenges and create a brighter future for all.
The nonprofit behind the licenses and tools the world uses to share
For over 20 years, Creative Commons has supported a global movement built on a belief in the power of open access to knowledge and creativity. From Wikipedia to the Smithsonian, organizations and individuals rely on our work to share billions of historic images, scientific articles, cultural artifacts, educational resources, music, and more!
Color photo of an extreme close-up of a virus that looks like a greyish-green ovoid, surrounded by chains of bright orange globules, all in a dark purple environment.
"Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2" by NIAID, here cropped, is licensed via CC BY 2.0.
Color photo of a kabuki actor with dramatic red and black face makeup and traditional hairstyle, staring intently and wearing an ornate gold and blue costume and holding up an open yellow fan with a red dot in the middle.
"Children kabuki theater in Nagahama (warrior Kumagai, 12 y.o.)" by lensonjapan, here cropped, is licensed via CC BY 2.0.
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Anna TumadóttirAbout CC
Colored swirls with the CC logo nestled between the colors.
"Kaleidoscope 2" by Sheila Sund is licensed under CC BY 2.0, remixed by Creative Commons licensed under CC BY 4.0
This year marked the first year of a new strategic cycle for Creative Commons, and it began amid profound change. The ground beneath the open internet continues to shift. Powerful technologies, driven largely by multibillion-dollar companies, are reshaping how knowledge and creativity are shared online, concentrating power in the hands of a few and testing long-standing assumptions about openness and access.
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Sarah Hinchliff PearsonLicenses & Tools
Bird's eye view photo of a small hut and a concrete path through a lush green forest. However, the image is slightly distorted by digital artefacts.
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Creative CommonsPolicy, Sustaining the Commons
A bird's eye view photo of an orange sand mine with transport lorries, but the image is slightly distorted by digital artefacts.