Editing Creative Commons license (section)

== Applicable works ==
[[File:Wanna Work Together? with subtitles - Creative Commons.ogv|thumb|thumbtime=97|[https://creativecommons.org/videos/wanna-work-together Wanna Work Together?] animation by Creative Commons]]
[[File:Mayer and Bettle 2 - Creative Commons.ogv|thumb|thumbtime=98|The [https://creativecommons.org/videos/mayer-and-bettle2 second version] of the [https://creativecommons.org/videos/mayer-and-bettle Mayer and Bettle] promotional animation explaining Creative Commons with [[Jamendo]] as an example]]

Work licensed under a Creative Commons license is governed by applicable copyright law.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 9, 2008 |title=Creative Commons Legal Code |url=https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211175916/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode |archive-date=February 11, 2010 |access-date=February 22, 2010 |publisher=[[Creative Commons]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref> This allows Creative Commons licenses to be applied to all work falling under copyright, including: books, plays, movies, music, articles, photographs, blogs, and websites.

=== Software ===
While [[software]] is also governed by copyright law and CC licenses are applicable, the CC recommends against using it in software specifically due to backward-compatibility limitations with existing commonly used software licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 29, 2013 |title=Creative Commons FAQ: Can I use a Creative Commons license for software? |url=http://wiki.creativecommons.org/FAQ#Can_I_use_a_Creative_Commons_license_for_software.3F |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127205528/http://wiki.creativecommons.org/FAQ#Can_I_use_a_Creative_Commons_license_for_software.3F |archive-date=November 27, 2010 |access-date=September 20, 2013 |publisher=Wiki.creativecommons.org |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Non-Software Licenses |url=https://choosealicense.com/non-software/ |access-date=2020-11-13 |website=Choose a License |language=en |archive-date=January 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102152501/https://choosealicense.com/non-software/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Instead, developers may resort to use more software-friendly [[free and open-source software]] (FOSS) [[software license]]s. Outside the FOSS licensing use case for software there are [[:Category:Creative Commons-licensed video games|several usage examples]] to utilize CC licenses to specify a "[[Freeware]]" license model; examples are [[The White Chamber]], [[Mari0]] or [[Assault Cube]].<ref name="contentlicense">{{Cite web |title=AssaultCube – License |url=http://assault.cubers.net/docs/license.html#entirepackage |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225031357/http://assault.cubers.net/docs/license.html |archive-date=25 December 2010 |access-date=2011-01-30 |website=assault.cubers.net |quote=''AssaultCube is FREEWARE. [...] The content, code and images of the AssaultCube website and all documentation are licensed under "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported''}}</ref> Despite the status of CC0 as the most free copyright license, the [[Free Software Foundation]] does not recommend releasing [[public domain software|software into the public domain]] using the CC0 due to patent concerns.<ref name="GNU Project" />

However, application of a Creative Commons license may not modify the rights allowed by [[fair use]] or fair dealing or exert restrictions which violate copyright exceptions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Do Creative Commons licenses affect exceptions and limitations to copyright, such as fair dealing and fair use? |url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Frequently_Asked_Questions#Do_Creative_Commons_licenses_affect_exceptions_and_limitations_to_copyright.2C_such_as_fair_dealing_and_fair_use.3F |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150808182345/https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Frequently_Asked_Questions#Do_Creative_Commons_licenses_affect_exceptions_and_limitations_to_copyright.2C_such_as_fair_dealing_and_fair_use.3F |archive-date=August 8, 2015 |access-date=July 26, 2015 |website=Frequently Asked Questions – Creative Commons |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Furthermore, Creative Commons licenses are non-exclusive and non-revocable.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What if I change my mind about using a CC license? |url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Frequently_Asked_Questions#What_if_I_change_my_mind_about_using_a_CC_license.3F |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150808182345/https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Frequently_Asked_Questions#What_if_I_change_my_mind_about_using_a_CC_license.3F |archive-date=August 8, 2015 |access-date=July 26, 2015 |website=Frequently Asked Questions – Creative Commons |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Any work or copies of the work obtained under a Creative Commons license may continue to be used under that license.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What happens if the author decides to revoke the CC license to material I am using? |url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Frequently_Asked_Questions#What_happens_if_the_author_decides_to_revoke_the_CC_license_to_material_I_am_using.3F |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150808182345/https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Frequently_Asked_Questions#What_happens_if_the_author_decides_to_revoke_the_CC_license_to_material_I_am_using.3F |archive-date=August 8, 2015 |access-date=July 26, 2015 |website=Frequently Asked Questions – Creative Commons |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

When works are protected by more than one Creative Commons license, the user may choose any of them.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How do CC licenses operate? |url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Frequently_Asked_Questions#How_do_CC_licenses_operate.3F |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150808182345/https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Frequently_Asked_Questions#How_do_CC_licenses_operate.3F |archive-date=August 8, 2015 |access-date=July 26, 2015 |website=Frequently Asked Questions – Creative Commons |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

=== Preconditions ===
The author, or the licensor in case the author did a contractual transfer of rights, needs to have the exclusive rights on the work. If the work has already been published under a public license, it can be uploaded by any third party, once more on another platform, by using a compatible license, and making reference and attribution to the original license (e.g. by referring to the URL of the original license).<ref name="Till Kreutzer-2014" />

=== Consequences ===
The license is non-exclusive, royalty-free, and unrestricted in terms of territory and duration, so it is irrevocable, unless a new license is granted by the author after the work has been significantly modified. Any use of the work that is not covered by other copyright rules triggers the public license. Upon activation of the license, the licensee must adhere to all conditions of the license, otherwise the license agreement is illegitimate, and the licensee would commit a copyright infringement. The author, or the licensor as a proxy, has the legal rights to act upon any copyright infringement. The licensee has a limited period to correct any non-compliance.<ref name="Till Kreutzer-2014" />