Open licenses are a key part of the OER movement. Without the use of open licenses, it would be difficult for users to engage with Wiley's 5R permission framework.
Creative Commons has created a set of well-known open licenses that are commonly used when creating OER. These licenses allow creators to select copyright licenses that are more permissive than the traditional "all rights reserved" copyright model.
Watch the below video to learn more about these types of licenses and how they can be combined when modifying or developing an OER:
Source: Video "Creating OER and Combining Licenses - Full" by TheOGRepository, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareALike 3.0 Unported license
A Creative Commons license clearly lists what permissions the creator is providing to other users. For example, it will list if attribution is required, what kind of reuse is allowed, and if modifications are allowed. The following chart summarizes some of the key differences between the Creative Commons licenses:
| Image for License | Basic Description of License / Designation |
|---|---|
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Creative Commons Zero (CC0): Creative Commons Zero is not a licence. It is a designation that you apply to your work. Creators that use this designation give up all of their copyrights, placing the work in the public domain and allowing others to reuse and rework without adhering to any copyright restrictions. Learn more about CC0 and free cultural works. |
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Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY): Users can reuse and modify the work commercially or non-commercially, as long as they provide attribution to the original creator. Learn more about CC BY. |
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Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike (CC BY-SA): While users can reuse and modify the work commercially or non-commercially, they must give attribution to the original creator and share remixed versions of the work under the same license. Learn more about CC BY-SA. |
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Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs (CC BY-ND): Users can redistribute the work commercially or non-commercially; however, they must provide attribution to the creator and are not able to revise the work. Learn more about CC BY-ND. |
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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC): Users can reuse and modify the work, but only for non-commercial purposes. Their derivative works must acknowledge the original creator and be non-commercial, but they don't have to license it using the same license. Learn more about CC BY-NC. |
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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA): Users can reuse and modify, but only for non-commercial purposes. Any derivative works must provide attribution to the original creator and must be shared using the same licensing terms. Learn more about CC BY-NC-SA. |
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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND): This is the most restrictive license. Users can download the work and share it, but they must provide attribution, cannot change the work and cannot use it commercially. Learn more about CC BY-NC-ND. |
Source: Webpages "Licenses and Examples" and "CCO" by Creative Commons, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0)