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GlossaryPolicyIntermediate

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0

Also written: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

A license letting others use and share your work if they credit you.

In plain terms

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) is a type of public copyright license. It allows anyone to freely share, copy, and adapt creative works, like text, images, or code.

The main condition is that they must give appropriate credit to the original creator. This means mentioning the creator's name and providing a link to the original work or license if possible. It's a way to allow broad use while still acknowledging the source.

For example, if a lab releases a research paper under CC BY 4.0, other researchers can use parts of that paper in their own work, as long as they cite the original paper and author.

The expert version

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) is a permissive public copyright license. It grants users the rights to "copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format" and to "remix, transform, and build upon the material" for any purpose, even commercially. The sole condition is that users must provide "appropriate credit," a "link to the license," and indicate if "changes were made." This is done by providing the creator's name, a copyright notice, a license notice, and a link to the original work or the CC BY 4.0 license deed. It is one of the most widely used CC licenses due to its balance of freedom and attribution.

Why it matters now

Google Gemini is frequently referencing the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license in its recent model previews and clarifications. This suggests a focus on how the output of these new AI models can be shared and adapted by users, with a clear requirement for attribution to the original creator.

Where it shows up 14 items, newest first
How each company uses it
Google Gemini
Google Gemini is explicitly mentioning the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license in relation to its new model releases, indicating its importance for how users can share and build upon AI-generated content.
Related terms

Open SourceCopyrightPublic DomainApache License 2.0AI EthicsLicensing

Often confused with
Public Domain
Work in the public domain has no copyright restrictions and does
Creative Commons Zero (CC0)
CC0 dedicates works to the public domain, waiving a
All Rights Reserved
This is the default copyright status where no permissions a
Origin

Creative Commons licenses were launched in 2001 by Lawrence Lessig, Eric Eldred, Nina Paley, and others. The goal was to provide a flexible alternative to traditional copyright, allowing creators to share their work under specific, standardized terms. Version 4.0 is the latest international iteration. Source ↗

Try this about 5 minutes

Find an image or article online that is clearly marked with a "CC BY 4.0" license. Save the image or copy the text. Then, create a new document or post and include the image or text, making sure to add a clear credit to the original creator and a link to the license or original source.

Try it: Playbook entries that use thisPlaybook →

The Playbook: reusable how-tos, prompts, configs and tips pulled out of the news.

Questions people ask

Do I have to pay to use content under CC BY 4.0?
No, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 is a free license. You can use and adapt the work for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you follow the attribution rules.
What kind of credit do I need to give?
You need to provide reasonable credit to the original creator, a link to the license, and indicate if you made changes. The exact format can vary, but it should be clear and easy to find.
Can I use CC BY 4.0 content in my own commercial product?
Yes, CC BY 4.0 allows for commercial use. You can incorporate the work into your products or services, provided you give proper attribution to the original creator.

First seen on Subvolts Sep 5, 2026. Updated Oct 15, 2026. Written by an AI model from the items above and reviewed against them weekly; report an error.