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"Twenty Years of Creative Commons (in Sixty Seconds)" by Ryan Junell and Glenn Otis Brown for Creative Commons is licensed via CC BY 4.0 and includes adaptations of the multiple open and public domain works. View full licensing and attribution information about all works included in the video on Flickr.

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.

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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!

Black and white photo of two people with short, greased-back hair sitting on a couch and playing a violin and a guitar.
"Farmer and his brother making music" by Russell Lee, here cropped, is marked with CC PDM 1.0.
A group of about 18 people of all ages smiling and waving in front of the doors of a white historical building.
"Flickr photowalk at the Creative Commons Global Summit 2019, Lisbon" by Sebastiaan ter Burg, here cropped, is licensed via CC BY 2.0.
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.

Latest News

Global Call to Action: Open Heritage Statement Now Open for Signature
by Brigitte Vézina, Dee Harris Open Culture, Open Heritage

Impressionist painting of rooftops and a blue sky dotted with clouds with a white hot air balloon in the sky.
"Watering Place at Marley" by Alfred Sisley, 1875, CC0, Art Institute of Chicago, remixed with "TAROCH balloon" by Creative Commons/Dee Harris, 2025, CC0.

Creative Commons and the TAROCH Coalition (Towards a Recommendation on Open Cultural Heritage) announce the launch of the Open Heritage Statement, now open for signature by governments, organizations, and institutions worldwide. Developed by more than 60 organizations across 25 countries within the Coalition, the Statement defines shared values, highlights key challenges, and sets action-oriented priorities for closing the global gap in equitable access to heritage in the public domain.
From Shared Vision to Global Action: Paving the Road to the Open Heritage Statement
by Brigitte Vézina, Dee Harris Open Culture

Impressionist painting of a country road with people and a carriage, with a white hot air balloon in the sky.
New Community Chat Platform: Moving from Slack to Zulip
by Jocelyn Miyara Community

Pink Tulips in the foreground in clear focus, with a dark blue mountain out of focus behind.
The Benefits of Open Heritage in the Digital Environment
by Brigitte Vézina, Dee Harris Open Culture

Landscape from 1875 or people walking next to a river.
Understanding Barriers to Accessing Heritage
by Brigitte Vézina, Dee Harris Open Culture

Landscape along the Seine with the Institut de France and the Pont des Arts