 Have you ever wondered how to download and share digital content legally? How do you let people know that you want them to reuse your own work? Creative Commons licenses can help you do both. We'll show you how. Our world has exploded with digital opportunities. Now we can communicate, share and work together using the exceptional distribution network that is the Internet. Information and content can fly between us in exciting new ways. But it's important to know that when something is created, say a photo, a document or a music track, it's automatically protected by copyright. Copyright enables people to say who can share and reuse their creations. You must always obtain someone's permission before sharing or reusing their work even when it's posted online. But what if a creator wants everyone to use their work without the hassle of granting permission over and over? This is where Creative Commons can help. Creative Commons provides licensing tools that are free to use. You can apply a license to your work which refines your copyright and streamlines how you give permission. Zach here downloads a photo called CC Kiwi that he wants to use in his science project. He can do this without asking Kiri, the photographer first, because she's already given permission with a Creative Commons license. Kiri's license is legally robust, but easy for Zach to understand. She's told the world, including Zach, that they can use CC Kiwi as long as they acknowledge her as the original photographer. There are more rules Kiri could have included. Creative Commons licenses are made up of license elements. You can think of them as rules, and each have their own special symbol. This is attribution. It means that Zach must acknowledge Kiri when he publishes his science project containing her photo. This is non-commercial. It means no one else but Kiri is permitted to make money from CC Kiwi. Tim wants to print the photo onto t-shirts and distribute them to friends. He can do this, but he must not sell them. This is no derivatives, and it means that Kiri hasn't given permission to change her photo. Kate can use CC Kiwi on her design blog, but will need to ask Kiri before retouching or mixing up the image. And this is share alike. It means new creations that use CC Kiwi need to carry the same license. Jack incorporates his own remix of CC Kiwi in his video installation, but he must share the work under the same terms that Kiri has. Each Creative Commons license gives permission to share, and includes the attribution rule. So people who find your Creative Commons license work are automatically allowed to share it, but are required to acknowledge you if they do. The other three license elements are optional, and you can choose which ones to add, if any. Here are the six combinations that make up Creative Commons licenses. The difference between them is how many rules apply when someone wishes to use your work. The attribution license allows re-uses the most freedom, and the attribution non-commercial no derivatives license allows the least freedom. The attribution license and the attribution share alike licenses are sometimes referred to as free cultural works approved licenses. These three licenses restrict commercial use of a work. And these two licenses do not give permission for adapting or remixing. These two licenses require new works to be licensed under the same terms. To choose and apply one of these licenses, and to view their terms in more detail, visit us at creativecommons.org.nz Or you can answer some questions to help you decide which license best suits your needs at creativecommons.org.choose. There are some good ways to find other people's Creative Commons licensed work online. You can use a search filter by going to the Creative Commons website. Or why not try the Jemendo website for music, flicker for images, or digital NZ for New Zealand content. Using Creative Commons licenses could help your creations reach more people. Maybe you want to connect with others across the globe and take turns at improving a report. Or maybe you just want to have fun remixing someone else's work. Whatever reason you have to share your work, you'll find there are scientists, educators, companies and public agencies who are using Creative Commons. By opening up permission, just imagine how much we can achieve. Collaborating on what we hold in common, being open about big decisions, and finding solutions in the spaces between us. Let's work together, confidently and legally. It's good to share with Creative Commons.