Title: How to Apply a CC License to Your Work in Pressbooks

Authors: ramakaba (Author)
Years: 2021
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Licence terms: Includes screenshots taken from eCampusOntario Pressbooks instance. Content developed from Creative Commons Certificate for Educators, Academic Librarians and GLAM and creativecommons.org.

Rama Kaba-Demanin

(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Credits: cc.xlarge; by Creative Commons; source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/cc.xlarge.png; licence CC BY 4.0

Introduction

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Welcome!

This is an interactive, take at your own pace guide and tutorial designed for those already using or familiar with Pressbooks.

This guide and tutorial will introduce you to Creative Commons, its licenses and public domain tools. You will also learn how to select and apply a Creative Commons license to your content in Pressbooks.

The tutorial includes videos, and interactive quizzes and activities to test your knowledge as you proceed through the sections. Examples of resources in the eCampusOntario Open Library will be provided for the different license types.

Because this is a take at your own pace tutorial, you can move to the section(s) that is most relevant to you at any time.

Let's get started!

What is Creative Commons

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Creative Commons (CC) is a nonprofit organization that helps overcome legal obstacles to the sharing of knowledge and creativity. In order to do this, Creative Commons provide CC licenses and public domain tools that give creators and organizations in the world a free and standardized way to grant copyright permissions beyond the default “all rights reserved”.

Formed in 2001 as a response to the outdated global copyright legal system, Creative Commons is not only a set of legal tools, but it is a global network and movement, all inspired by others' willingness to share their creativity and knowledge beyond the traditional copyright laws.

From YouTube videos to scholarly articles, CC licenses and public domain tools are used by nearly 2 billion works across multiple websites, industries and platforms.

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/logos/cc.logo.large.png

[Image: cc some rights reserved]

The Launch of Creative Commons

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This section describes key historical events leading up to the launch of Creative Commons and its licenses.

A Timeline of Creative Commons' History

Credits: by Rama Kaba-Demanin (Author); 2021; licence CC BY-SA 4.0

Creative Commons in Time

This timeline describes key historical events leading up to the birth of Creative Commons (CC) and CC licenses.

1978 to 1978: The Copyright Act of 1976

The story of Creative Commons begins with the story of copyright, that is, the Copyright Act of 1976, to be specific. Copyright, simply put, is a law that dictates how an author or creator’s original work may be accessed and used for a specific time by others.

Enacted on October 19, 1976 (but didn’t take effect until January 1, 1978), the Copyright Act of 1976 is the basic framework for the current copyright law in the United States. And it serves as the basis upon which all subsequent amendments to copyright law follow.

Some notable parts of this act were the automatic application of federal copyright protection as soon as a work is created in a tangible medium, and the extension of copyright terms.

The copyright term for existing works prior to 1978, received an extension for 47 years more. Meanwhile, all new works created after January 1, 1978, saw an extension of lifetime of the creator plus 70 years.

1991 to 1991: The World Wide Web Influence

Although it may not appear obvious, the emergence of the World Wide Web had a significant influence on the birth of Creative Commons.

Ensuring that people can access and contribute to the Web for free, the Web took off with innovative contributions from around the world. They based on certain revolutionary ideas that also influenced the concept of “openness” in other fields and industry. These revolutionary ideas have enabled the sharing of information and resources as never seen before. This revealed how copyright laws around the world were unprepared for some of the ways digital technology would influence knowledge creation, production and collaboration on a large scale.

1998 to 1998: The Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act

The Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) extended copyright terms under the Copyright Act of 1976 to life of author plus 70.

CTEA was commonly referred to as the Mickey Mouse Protection Act because it was around the same time when the original Mickey Mouse cartoon, Steamboat Willie, and other works copyright under the older fixed term were set to enter the public domain. Instead, their copyright terms were extended due to heavy lobbying by large corporations.

This extension was extremely important, because the end of a copyright term signals that a work is entering the public domain for anyone to use it without permission. Works in public domain contribute to the collective pool of knowledge that everyone can draw from to create new works. Works entering public domain are needed in order to foster an innovative, creative and collective creation and sharing of knowledge.

1999 to 2003: Eldred v. Ashcroft

Finding the CTEA law unconstitutional, lawyer Lawrence Lessig and web publisher Eric Eldred, and others who relied on materials in the public domain to make a living filed a complaint against CTEA on January 11, 1999.

Lessig and Eldred sought to challenge the additional 20 years for existing works that were about to enter the public domain in 1998 and the following years. The case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, but sadly, they lost the case in 2003.

2001 to 2001: Creative Commons is Launched

While awaiting the verdicts of their case, Lessig and others created Creative Commons in 2001. Creative Commons, a non-profit organization, was created to address the growing tension between digital technology’s capabilities of enabling new opportunities for creating, accessing, sharing and collaborating and the restrictions of copyright laws around the world.

Around the same time, their case was inspiring many folks who wanted to make creative works freely available on the internet. There were growing discussions happening on the web across multiple industries and sectors about the concept of open and open content.

2002 to 2002: Creative Commons Licenses are Published

In order to address the tension between sharing one’s digital work globally and deal with copyright laws, Creative Commons published its own set of licenses in 2002.

Creative Commons (CC) licenses are free, public licenses that any creator can use to share their work on a more flexible terms than the default “all rights reserved”. It’s important to note that CC licenses do not replace a creator’s copyright, because that’s automatic, rather it depends on its existence, and what it does do, is give creators the ability to share their work on their own terms. Since the web has enable global access to information and knowledge sharing, CC licenses are intended for all creators globally.

There are six core CC license types that address different elements of sharing but still give the creator the freedom to select how exactly they want their work to be shared and re-used, especially in a global digital environment. These licenses are now crucial for almost everything “open,” such as in open access publishing, open education resources, open data, and etc.

Credits: Copyright Symbols; by MikeBlogs; source https://live.staticflickr.com/3159/3020966666_a99b91fc1a_m.jpg; licence CC BY 2.0

Credits: Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee, painted portrait DSC_0156; by Abode of Chaos; source https://live.staticflickr.com/3658/3684156847_e5ea9ab8b0.jpg; licence CC BY 2.0

Credits: Public Domain; by Creative Commons; source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/pd.xlarge.png

Credits: CC icon; by Creative Commons; source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/cc.xlarge.png

Credits: BY; by Creative Commons; source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/by.xlarge.png

Credits: #e9d2bd hex color; by ColorHexa; source https://www.colorhexa.com/e9d2bd.png

Watch this short video about the vision behind Creative Commons.

Credits: by Jesse Dylan (Author); source https://creativecommons.org/about/videos/a-shared-culture/; licence CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Time for a little quiz! Dates are so important, let's see how many you remember.

The Launch of Creative Commons Quiz

Q: What year was Creative Commons founded in?
- 2001 (correct)
- 2002
- 2003

Q: What was the name of the legal case that contested the CTEA?
- Eldred v. Ashcroft (correct)
- Ashcroft v. Mickey
- Lessig v. Disney

Q: What was the name of the law that extended copyright term to life of author plus 70 years in the United States?
- The Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (correct)
- The Copyright Act of 1976
- The Popeye Protection Act

Q: What year did Eric Eldred and others file a complaint against the CTEA.
- 1999 (correct)
- 2000
- 2001

Q: What year did Creative Commons publish its own set of licenses.
- 2002 (correct)
- 2001
- 2011

What are Creative Commons Licenses

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Now that you know a little bit about the history of Creative Commons, let's watch a short video first, before learning more about CC license types and how to use them.

Credits: by U of G Library (Author); 2018; source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srVPLrmlBJY; licence CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

License Design

Creative Commons (CC) licenses are standardized and legally enforceable tools that grant the public permission to use creative and academic work under copyright law. All CC licenses ensure that you as the creator retain your copyright, is credited for your work, while still allowing others to copy and share it. There are six types of CC licenses and two public domain tools available for your use.

You can apply CC licenses to almost any type of work, such as educational resources, photographs, databases, and music. The only categories Creative Commons recommend not applying CC licenses to are computer software and hardware.

CC licenses were designed to provide a solution to complicated laws in a standardized way, making them as easy as possible for non-lawyers to use and apply. Understanding the different elements of how the license are created will help you select and use CC licenses more effectively.

The current CC license is version 4.0 license suite. These new licenses are much more user-friendly and internationally robust. Visit the License Versions Wiki page to read about the different versions. You can also check out the What's New in 4.0 for a summary of changes to the current CC license.

CC licenses are built using a three-layer design. Click on each layer below to learn more about them.

The Three Layers of CC Licenses

Credits: by ramakaba (Author); source https://creativecommons.org/licenses/; licence CC BY 4.0; Image taken from 3.1 License Design and Terminology of the Creative Commons Certificate for Educators, Academic Librarians and GLAM

Legal Code

This base layer contains the legal code. The legal code is the “lawyer-readable” terms and conditions that are legally enforceable in court.

Take some time to scan through the legal code of CC BY to see how it is structured.

Human Readable

This middle layer contains the commons deeds. The commons deeds are the most recognized layer of the licenses as it summarizes the legal code into comprehensive terms, or in so-called “human-readable” terms. The commons deeds are also where reusers are redirected to. The deeds are not legally enforceable but instead summarize the legal code.

Legal Code

The top layer, machine readable, provides software and other technologies with metadata that can be used to display a summary of the key freedoms granted by CC licenses. This layer recognizes that software plays a critical role in the creation, copying, discovery, and distribution of works, so Creative Commons developed a standardized way to describe licenses that software can understand called CC Rights Expression Language (CC REL). When this metadata is attached to CC licensed works, someone searching for a CC licensed work using a search engine (e.g., Google advanced search) can more easily discover CC licensed works.

Time for a little quiz!

Three Layers Quiz

The Elements of CC License

Q: The CC licenses are built using a five-layer design.
A: false

Question 2

Q: The middle layer is the most recognized layer of the licenses as it summarizes the legal code into a “human-readable” term.
A: true

Question 3

Q: The CC Rights Expression Language are the terms and conditions that are legally enforceable in court.
A: false

License Type

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License Design

Creative Commons licenses are made up of four different elements that are symbolized by visual icons. These four elements combine together to create CC licenses.

Go through the slides below to become familiar with the four visual icons.

License Elements

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/by.xlarge.png

[Image: Attribution icon]

Attribution (BY)

Credit/attribution must be given to the creator.

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/sa.xlarge.png

[Image: share alike icon]

NonCommercial (NC)

Work can only be used for noncommerical purposes.

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/nc.xlarge.png

[Image: non commercial icon]

ShareAlike (SA)

Adaptations of work must be licensed under the same license.

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/nd.xlarge.png

[Image: no derivatives]

NoDerivatives (ND)

No adaptations of work can be shared.

Do you recall what the four elements are? Test your knowledge below with the drag and drop activity!

Match the Creative Commons symbols with their conditions

Credits: by Lillian Hogendoorn (Author); licence CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

- [Image: Counter clockwise arrow in circle]
- [Image: Equals sign in circle]
- [Image: Dollar symbol with strikethrough in circle]
- [Image: Person symbol in circle]
Q: Attribution (BY)
A: [Image: Person symbol in circle]
Q: Non-Commercial
A: [Image: Dollar symbol with strikethrough in circle]
Q: No Derivatives
A: [Image: Equals sign in circle]
Q: ShareAlike
A: [Image: Counter clockwise arrow in circle]

License Options

The four license elements (BY, SA, NC, and ND) combine together to create six different CC license options.

As you will see, all of the licenses include the BY condition. This means that all of the licenses require that you, as the creator, be attributed in connection with your work. Beyond that commonality, the licenses vary whether commercial use of the work is allowed; and whether the work can be adapted, and if so, on what terms.

Go through the slides below to learn about the six license types. The six licenses are listed in order of the least to the most restrictive in terms of the freedoms granted to the reusers. Examples of resources licensed with each type are also provided.

License Types

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/buttons/88x31/png/by.png

[Image: attribution symbol]

Credits: source https://openlibrary.ecampusontario.ca/catalogue/item/?id=5ca438fe-0e1c-4bf8-b1d6-e75c2e5756a4

[Image: example of cc by]

The Attribution license or CC BY allows people to use your work for any purpose only as long as they give attribution to you. Reusers can distribute, remix, adapt and build upon the work in any medium or format, even for commercial purposes.

Example of CC BY

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/buttons/88x31/png/by-sa.png

[Image: attribution share alike symbol]

[Image: example of cc sa]

The Attribution-ShareAlike license or BY-SA allows people to use your work for any purpose, even commercially in any modified form, only as long as they give attribution to you and make any adaptations they share with others available under the same or a compatible license as yours.

Example of CC BY-SA

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/buttons/88x31/png/by-nc.png

[Image: attribution noncommercial]

[Image: example of cc nc]

The Attribution-NonCommercial license or BY-NC allows people to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon your material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, as long as they give attribution to you.

Example of CC BY-NC

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/buttons/88x31/png/by-nc-sa.png

[Image: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license symbol]

[Image: example of cc by nc sa]

The Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license or BY-NC-SA allows people to use your work for noncommercial purposes only, and only as long as they give attribution to you and make any adaptations they share with others available under the same or a compatible license as yours.

Example of CC BY-NC-SA

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/buttons/88x31/png/by-nd.png

[Image: attribution nonderivatives]

Credits: by danpalmer (Author); source https://openlibrary.ecampusontario.ca/catalogue/item/?id=5ca438fe-0e1c-4bf8-b1d6-e75c2e5756a4; licence CC BY-ND 2.0

[Image: example of cc by nd]

The Attribution-NoDerivatives license or BY-ND allows people to copy and distribute your unadapted work for any purpose, even commercially, as long as they give attribution to you.

Example of CC BY-ND

*None found in the eCampusOntario Open Library

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/buttons/88x31/png/by-nc-nd.png

[Image: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license]

[Image: example of cc by nc nd]

The Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license or BY-NC-ND allows people to copy and distribute your work in any medium or unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only as long as they give attribution to you.

Example of CC BY-NC-ND

Take the quiz below to help you become familiar with the licenses!

License Conditions Quiz

Credits: by lillian_h (Author); licence CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

CC BY

Q: When using a work with this license, you must:
- Give credit to the creator (correct)
- Share your adaptation under the same terms
- Use the work non-commercially
- Use the work in an unadapted form only, and not create any derivatives or adaptations.
- There are no conditions for the use of this work.
[Image: Creative Commons BY]

CC BY SA

Q: When using a work with this license, you must:
- Give credit to the creator (correct)
- Share your adaptation under the same terms. (correct)
- Use the work non-commercially
- Use the work in an unadapted form only, and not create any derivatives or adaptations.
- There are no conditions for the use of this work.
Credits: by Creative Commons (Originator)

[Image: Creative Commons BY SA]

CC BY NC

Q: When using a work with this license, you must:
- Give credit to the creator (correct)
- Share your adaptation under the same terms.
- Use the work non-commercially (correct)
- Use the work in an unadapted form only, and not create any derivatives or adaptations.
- There are no conditions for the use of this work.
[Image: Creative Commons BY NC]

CC BY NC SA

Q: When using a work with this license, you must:
- Give credit to the creator (correct)
- Share your adaptation under the same terms. (correct)
- Use the work non-commercially (correct)
- Use the work in an unadapted form only, and not create any derivatives or adaptations.
- There are no conditions for the use of this work.
[Image: Creative Commons BY NC SA]

CC BY ND

Q: When using a work with this license, you must:
- Give credit to the creator (correct)
- Share your adaptation under the same terms.
- Use the work non-commercially
- Use the work in an unadapted form only, and not create any derivatives or adaptations. (correct)
- There are no conditions for the use of this work.
[Image: Creative Commons BY ND]

CC BY NC ND

Q: When using a work with this license, you must:
- Give credit to the creator (correct)
- Share your adaptation under the same terms.
- Use the work non-commercially (correct)
- Use the work in an unadapted form only, and not create any derivatives or adaptations. (correct)
- There are no conditions for the use of this work.
[Image: Creative Commons BY NC ND]

Public Domain Tools

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The Public Domain Tools

Did you know that in addition to the six license types, Creative Commons also has two public domain tools?

Creative Commons has an option for you if you want to dedicate your work completely to the public domain and disclaim copyright entirely, or take a "No Rights Reserved" approach.

As well, Creative Commons also has a public domain mark that you can use to label works that are in the public domain and are known to be free of copyright restrictions.

Go through the slides below to learn more about the two CC public domain tools.

CC Public Domain

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/buttons/88x31/png/cc-zero.png

[Image: cc zero public domain dedication symbol]

The Public Domain Dedication or CC0 (read “CC Zero”) or “no copyright” provides you, as the creator, with the ability to dedicate your work to the public domain to the greatest extent possible.

Like the CC licenses, CC0 also uses the three-layer design: legal code, deed, and metadata.

Some countries do not allow you to dedicate your work to the public domain through a waiver or abandonment of those rights, so CC0 includes a “fall back” license that allows anyone to use your work unconditionally. The fall back license comes into play when the waiver fails for any reason. And in the rare instance that both the waiver and the “fall back” license are not enforceable, CC includes a promise made by you that you will not assert copyright against reusers in a manner that interferes with your stated intention of surrendering all rights with your work.

Credits: source https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2018/05/null-253x300.png

[Image: three layer design of creative commons license]

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/zero.xlarge.png

[Image: cc zero icon]

CC0 is not just a copyright tool, it also covers a few additional rights beyond those covered by the CC licenses, such as non-competition laws. From a reuse perspective, there still may be other rights that require clearance separately, such as trademark and patent rights, and third party rights in the work, such as publicity or privacy rights.

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/buttons/88x31/png/publicdomain.png

[Image: public domain mark]

The Public Domain Mark is a tool used to label works, primarily old works, that are free of known copyright restrictions around the world.

Credits: by Creative Commons (Author); source https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/pd.xlarge.png

[Image: public domain mark icon]

The Public Domain Mark tool was created in an effort to help make public domain work easily identifiable and discoverable online. The Public Domain Mark does not have a legal effect, it is primarily used to label works whose copyright has expired everywhere in the world.

The two public domain tools are often used by museums, libraries and archives for various reasons.

Some sites that host works in the public domain include Project Gutenberg, Public Domain Review, Wikimedia Commons, and Internet Archive.

Try guessing what the symbols are below before flipping the card!

Public Domain Tools

Q: A symbol for creators who want to give up the copyright for their works. It allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the work in any medium or format, with no conditions.
A: Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication

Q: A tool used to label and tag a work that is free of known copyright restrictions worldwide.
A: Creative Commons Public Domain Mark

Time for a little quiz!

Public Domain Quiz

1

Q: Work with this mark means that the work is free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights.
A: true
[Image: cc public domain mark icon]

Question 2

Q: The Public Domain Mark has a legal effect.
A: false

3

Q: If I select the CC0 license for my work, I am not dedicating my work to the public domain, so that anyone, anywhere can use my work without my permission.
A: false

Q: If I apply CC0 to my work, I am also promising that I will not assert copyright against reusers in a way that interferes with my stated intention of surrendering all rights in my work.
A: true

Copyright Exceptions and Limitations

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A Note

You've now learned what Creative Commons and its licenses are.

Please note that since CC licenses work within the scope of copyright laws and similar rights, this means that CC licenses have no effect where copyright doesn't apply. Therefore, exceptions and limitations to copyright also affect CC licensed works. Two important instances where CC license isn’t applicable are because:

1. You're using a work under fair use, fair dealing, or under such similar limitation to copyright.
2. You're using a work in the public domain. CC license can’t be applied to a work in public domain, nor can you remove a work from the public domain.

How to Select a License

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Before Applying a CC License

Before selecting a Creative Commons license or CC0 for your work, there are some important things to consider.

Here are two of them:

- The licenses and CC0 cannot be revoked. This means once you apply a CC license to your material, anyone who receives it may rely on that license for as long as the material is protected by copyright, even if you later stop distributing it. Because the licenses are irrevocable, it’s very important to carefully consider your options before applying a CC license to your work.

- You must own or control copyright in the work. This means that only the copyright holder or someone with express permission from the copyright holder can apply a CC license or CC0 to a copyrighted work. If you’ve created a work in the scope of your job, you may want to verify that you are in fact, the copyright holder. This also mean that you can’t control any copyright work that is in the public domain.

Visit this page Considerations for licensors and licensees for more pre-licensing considerations.

Which License should I use?

Creative Commons license provides a range of options for you to share your work with the public while still retaining your copyright. One of the ways to decide which license is appropriate for your work is to consider why you want to share your work, and how you hope others will use your work. This will help to ensure that you don’t select a license that will ultimately render your original intentions for sharing your work with a CC license. Also, CC licenses are irrevocable, so you want to ensure you’re selecting the best license for your work.

You will always be giving attribution for your work because all six core CC licenses require that users give you credit as the creator and other information to help locate your original work. Therefore, the rest is to decide whether you want to allow commercial use and derivatives of your work, if so under what further conditions.

Consider answering the questions from Creative Commons License Chooser to see what kind of license you get based on your response.

Try the drag and drop activity below to see if you can match the license with how the creator want others to use and share their work. This activity will help you consider how you may want to share your work!

Drag and drop the license symbols with the correct creator

- I want others to adapt my work and I want them to share their adaptation, even for commercial purposes.
- I want others to share my work for any purpose, even commercially, as long as they don’t distribute any modification they make.
- I want others to share and adapt my work, only as long as they share their work with the same license as mine.
- I want others to copy, redistribute and adapt my work, only if it’s for non-commercial purposes, and they share whatever adaptation they make with the same license as mine.
- I want others to share and adapt my work, as long as it’s for non-commercial purposes.
- I want others to only copy and redistribute my work in any medium or format they want. I don’t want my work to be used for commercial purposes and if they built upon it, they can’t redistribute their modification.
- [Image: Attribution]
- [Image: Attribution-NoDerivs]
- [Image: Attribution-ShareAlike]
- [Image: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike]
- [Image: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs]
- [Image: Attribution-NonCommercial]
Q: Creator 1
A: [Image: Attribution]
Q: Creator 3
A: [Image: Attribution-ShareAlike]
Q: Creator 4
A: [Image: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike]
Q: Creator 2
A: [Image: Attribution-NoDerivs]
Q: Creator 5
A: [Image: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs]
Q: Creator 6
A: [Image: Attribution-NonCommercial]

How to Add Your License in Pressbooks

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Pressbooks

A copyright notice is required for all books in Pressbooks, as such, Pressbooks automatically generates an “All Rights Reserved” copyright license. You can change this default license type and apply a CC license of your choice in the Book Info page.

The Book Info page is where you enter the metadata about your book, which includes your book’s copyright license. When you select a CC license, Pressbooks will display the CC license icons and a brief text linking to the license’s deed in Creative Commons.

To select your copyright license, click on Book Info in the left sidebar menu. On the Book Info page, find the Copyright section.

Click the plus icon on the image below to find the Book Info page and to select your license!

Book Info Page

Click on Book Info in the left menu sidebar. The Book info page is where you enter your book's metadata.

This is where you enter the name of the copyright holder. Only the copyright holder or someone with express permission from the copyright holder can apply a CC license or CC0 to a copyrighted work. Therefore, it is best to make sure that you are in fact the copyright holder especially if you are creating this material under a work contract or if you are receiving funding or grant.

Click the down arrow to select your license from the drop-down list. CC License in Pressbooks include:

- CC BY (Attribution)
- CC BY-NC (Attribution NonCommercial)
- CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution NonCommerical NoDerivatives)
- CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution NonCommerical ShareAlike)
- CC BY-ND (Attribution NoDerivatives)
- CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike)
- CCO (Creative Commons Zero)

Remember that CC licenses and CC0 cannot be revoked, so make sure you select the appropraite license for how you want to share your work with the public.

Refer to the Considerations for licensors and licensees page for more pre-licensing considerations if you're still unsure about which license you want to select.

Optional

Use this section to include information such as:

- Summary of what is included in the license
- Indicate rights not covered by the license
- Warranty clearance
- Any additional permissions you want to grant above and beyond what the license allows

Click Save to update your book information. Your license is displayed on the webbook's homepage.

[Image: webbook copyright]

Your Webbook

Your license appears in three different locations in your webbook. View the images in the slides below to find the copyright license locations.

License Info on the Webbook

[Image: license on webbook 1]

[Image: license on webbook 2]

[Image: license on webbook 3]

Copyright Notice

In addition to selecting your license type, you can also add a copyright notice. You can use this section to include information such as:

- Summary of what is included in the license
- Indicate rights not covered by the license
- Warranty clearance
- Any additional permissions you want to grant above and beyond what the license allows

Any text you add to the copyright notice will appear after the license text in the metadata section at the bottom of your webbook's homepage and in your exports.

Custom Copyright Notice

[Image: custom copyright notice in webbook]

The License Game

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Check out this interactive video to test your licence knowledge! This video compiles resources taken from the eCampusOntario Open Library. Look carefully to find where the licenses are displayed to help you answer the questions.

Name that License!

Question 1

Q: This license represent the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.
A: false
If right: You are correct! This license represents the Attribution license.
If wrong: Good try! This license represents the Attribution license.

Question 2

Q: This license lets me remix, adapt, and build upon this work non-commercially, and although my new work must also acknowledge the author, and be non-commercial, I don’t have to license my derivative work on the same terms.
A: true

Question 3

Q: The license for this resource allows me to remix, adapt, and build upon the work as long as (select all that applies):
- It's for non-commercially (correct)
- It's for commercially
- I credit the creator (correct)
- I license my new creation under the same terms. (correct)
- I license my new creation under whatever license terms I want

Question 4

Q: The license for this resource is which of the followings:
- Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (correct)
- Attribution-ShareAlike
- Public Domain Dedication
- Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs

Question 5

Choose the correct statement.

- I can use, share and remix this work only for non-commercial purposes. (correct)
- I can use, share and remix this work only for commercial purposes.
- I can't create derivatives of this work, even for non-commerical purposes.
- I have to license any adaptations I make of this work with the same license.

Choose the correct statement.

Summary

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Congratulations! You've made it through this guide and tutorial. You should now be familiar with Creative Commons licenses, how to select one for your work, and apply it to your content in Pressbooks.

Here are some resources you may find useful:

- Creative Commons FAQ page
- Differences between CC license versions
- Marking practices for creators (if you decide to create a custom copyright notice or share your work beyond Pressbooks)
- Marking practices for reusers (if you decide to use other CC licensed materials in your own work)
- Pressbooks Copyright section in the Pressbooks User Guide

Check out your summary to see how you did!