"An Introduction to Creative Commons" by Colleen Deel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The information found on this page is remixed from "Unit 4: Using CC Licenses and CC Licensed Works" by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0.
Creative Commons licenses are made to help you determine if and how a work can be used for your own needs. It is easy to share CC licensed works with the proper attribution, but knowing your options become trickier when you want to share works you have combined or modified.
If you decide to modify or combine multiple CC licensed works into a separate new work, you are either creating a collection or a remix (also know as a adapted or derivative work). Collections and remixes are distinct from each other and have unique requirements to ensure your use is legal. On this page, both methods are explained and license considerations are described.
What is a remix/adaptation/derivative work?
Created when a user makes something entirely new based upon one or more CC licensed works. The new remixed work must 1. be derived directly from the original work(s), 2. must be distinct enough from its original(s) to receive its own copyright protection, and 3. be unique enough from the original work(s) that the original work(s) cannot be distinctly identifiable in the new creation (i.e., only included as an excerpt).
License considerations for a remixed work:
Above image: "Bokeh remix" by kevin dooley is marked with CC BY 2.0.
What is a collection?
Created when a user compiles more than one CC licensed work into a larger work. Each individual work of a collection is distinct and includes a citation and its CC license information. An example of a collection is available by clicking here or on the "Example Collection" in the side navigation. When viewing the example, consider what makes a collection distinct from a remix.
License considerations for a collection:
Above image: "Collections" by fred_v is marked with CC BY 2.0.