CC public domain tools

There is often confusion that where material is publicly available it is in the 'public domain', which isn’t true for copyright - most material available online and elsewhere is very much still protected. True public domain works are not restricted by copyright due to age, form, function, or for other reasons. You can copy, distribute, display, perform, modify, or otherwise (re)use public domain works for any purpose, including without attribution. Creative Commons (CC) has two public domain tools - 'CC0' and 'PDM'.

CC0 Public Domain Dedication tool

CC0 Public Domain Dedication is often grouped with the 6 CC licences noted above, but it is actually a separate tool that changes the copyright status of a work to the fullest extent allowed under a country’s legislation. While CC licences take a ‘some rights reserved’ approach, CC0 functions as ‘no rights reserved' and includes a backup function as a permissive licence. This is important for jurisdictions where creators are not able to surrender or waive certain rights.

• CC0 should only be applied to your own work, or where you have authorisation for the works of others. Read the CC0 FAQs.
• CC0 is often recommended for use with research data. Read more in our guide to research data and copyright (PDF).
• CC0 has been approved for use with software by the Free Software Foundation (FSF), and is compatible with many open software licences. There is a notice that the FSF recommends adding.

Public Domain Mark (PDM)

The Public Domain Mark (PDM) functions as a label for users to identify works that are free of copyright restrictions. Note that application of the PDM lacks the legal backing that is included with CC0. Care should be used when using materials marked with the PDM, as the copyright status of works can vary by jurisdiction, and the PDM can be applied by anyone (accurate or not).

Learn more about the public domain tools (PDF), including using public domain works.

Have a question? Contact the Copyright Advisor.