ease. But copyright law places limits on our ability to take advantage of these possibilities. Creative Commons was founded to help us realize the full potential of the Internet.
1.2| CREATIVE COMMONS TODAY
As a set of legal tools, a nonprofit organization, and a global network and movement, Creative Commons has evolved in many ways over the course of its history.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Differentiate between Creative Commons as a set of licenses, a movement, and a nonprofit organization
- Explain the role of the CC Global Network
- Describe the basic areas of work for Creative Commons as a nonprofit organization
THE BIG QUESTION: WHY IT MATTERS
Now we know why Creative Commons was started. But what is Creative Commons today?
Today CC licenses are prevalent across the web and are used by creators around the world for every type of content you can imagine. The open movement, which extends beyond just CC licenses, is a global force of people committed to the idea that the world is better when we share and work together. Creative Commons is the nonprofit organization that stewards the CC licenses and helps support the open movement.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: WHY IT MATTERS TO YOU
When you think about Creative Commons, do you think about its licenses? Or about activists seeking copyright reform? A useful tool for sharing? Symbols in circles? Something else?
In addition to giving creators more choices for how to share their work, CC legal tools serve important policy goals in fields like scholarly publishing and education. Watch the brief video Why Open Education Matters to get a sense of the opportunities that CC licenses create for education. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJWbVt2Nc-I | CC BY 3.0
