Before choosing a CC license, there are a few things to consider:
- Is the work copyrightable? Some types of works, such as compilations of facts, cannot be copyrighted.
- Do you have the rights? If your work has been published elsewhere, for example, you may have signed over your copyrights to the publisher. Also, if you have any co-authors, you can license only your contributions to the work, unless they also wish to license their parts.
- CC licenses are irrevocable. You can remove a CC license from your work if you change your mind, but if someone has already made use of your work, permission to use your work can not be revoked retrospectively.
- Understand the terms of the license.
An easy-to use tool to help you decide which license will meet your need is available at the Creative Commons website. By answering a few questions about your intentions for your work, the License Chooser suggests an appropriate license.
(Note: Filling out the optional "Attribution" section will ensure that anyone who makes use of your work will understand how you want the attribution to appear).
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