# Creative Commons

Creative Commons is an organization dedicated to helping creative people license their work for use by others. Traditionally, it has been necessary to secure explicit rights to use the creative work of others. With the licenses published by Creative Commons, creators can now 'pre-license' their works to others.

What this means for you is that photos with Creative Commons licenses are free for you to use without asking anyone. All you have to do is abide by the terms of the Creative Commons license.

All Creative Commons licenses are made up of a combination of the following four requirements:

Attribution: Every Creative Commons license requires, at the very minimum, that you credit the creator of the photo. Viewfinder helps you do this by allowing you to copy a "attribution text" for a photo which comprises the photographer's Flickr username and the photo's Flickr URL.

Non-Commercial: Photos which are licensed with a 'non-commercial' requirement may not be used in a commercial context.

No Derivatives: Photos which are licensed with a 'no derivatives' requirement may not be built on in a new creative work (for example, photoshopping parts of the image).

Share Alike: Photos licensed with a 'share alike' requirement can be used in derivative works, but those derivative works must be licensed under the same terms as the original photo.

Please note that this brief guide does not constitute legal guidance. If you are unclear about your rights for a particular use case, please consult the Creative Commons website and a legal adviser. Also, consider simply checking with the owner of the photo. Quite often, photographers are happy to share work when asked.

Learn more about Creative Commons: creativecommons.org

Creative Commons FAQ: wiki.creativecommons.org

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