"Black soul singer Isaac Hayes performs at the International Amphitheater in Chicago..." by John H. White, here remixed by CC, is in the public domain.
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The CC licenses and public domain tools give everyone from individuals to large institutions a standardized way to grant the public permission to use their work under copyright law.
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Top left: Photo by 1ffischer, here edited and cropped, is in the public domain. Bottom left: "Chakrasamvara with His Consort Vajravarahi," here cropped, is in the public domain. Top right: "Swinging Towards the Stars and the Sea" by Liza Chan, here cropped, is marked with CC0. Bottom right: Photo by Agnes Happen, here cropped, is marked with CC0.
This year, Creative Commons marks 25 years of powering the world’s sharing—a quarter century of building the legal, technical, and social infrastructure that enables open knowledge, creativity, and collaboration worldwide. We invite you to celebrate with us—and to help shape the next chapter of the commons.
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Photo by Tech. Sgt. R.J. Biermann, here cropped, is marked with CC0.
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If we want ethical and equitable AI, we must protect and nourish the commons it relies on. Learn about how we’re adapting to address sharing in the age of AI, from developing new frameworks like CC signals, strengthening licensing guidance, and advocating for policies that keep access to knowledge open and equitable.
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"Trees Near Lake Under Blue Sky" via Pixabay, here cropped, is marked with CC0.
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"Spectrum Dance Theater in Dhaka" from the U.S. Embassy Dhaka, here cropped, is in the public domain.
The Creative Commons Open Heritage Companion is a practitioner’s guide developed to help cultural heritage institutions navigate the journey from closed to open collections. Grounded in the legal, policy, and ethical questions institutions face along the way, the Companion brings together resources, tools, and examples that guide practitioners from their first questions about openness to leading the field.
