Creative Commons (CC) Licensing

1998

THE SONNY BONO COPYRIGHT TERM EXTENSION ACT

The Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) was enacted in 1998. This Act extended the term of copyright for every work in the United States, even those already copyrighted, for an additional 20 years. The copyright term for individuals now equaled the life of the creator plus 70 years.

2001

CREATIVE COMMONS FOUNDED

Inspired by the value of Eldred’s goal to make more creative works freely available on the internet, and responding to a growing community of bloggers who were creating, remixing and sharing content, Lessig and his team created Creative Commons.
 

2002

CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSES RELEASED

In 2002, the Creative Commons Licenses were released. These are a set of free, public licenses that would allow creators to keep their copyrights while sharing their works on more flexible terms, giving them choices on how others can use their work. Currently, there are six different CC licenses for creators to choose from.
 

2003

ELDRED V. ASHCROFT – COPYRIGHT TERM EXTENSION ACT UPHELD

Eldred v. Ashcroft, was a 2003 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States upholding the constitutionality of the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA). While Eldred, represented by Lawrence Lessig and a team at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, lost the case, it inspired Lessig and others to create a nonprofit organization called Creative Commons in 2001.

CC Today

CREATIVE COMMONS: THE MOVEMENT

Since its foundation, a global movement has formed around Creative Commons. Made up of individuals and institutions, they collectively seek to advance policies mandating open access to publicly funded educational resources, research, and data.

To date, creative commons licenses have been used on nearly 2 billion works from songs to YouTube videos to scientific research. The licenses have helped this global movement come together around openness, collaboration, and shared human creativity.

The Creative Commons Global Network seeks to connect people interested in this movement. There are currently 794 members across 48 chapters. The CCGN also provides platforms for CC Open Education, CC Copyright, and CC Open GLAM.