Creative Commons

It's been a while since we last shared an update on CC signals and our work around AI and the commons. Over the past several months, we've been deep in research, in conversation, and in active collaboration with communities, policymakers, and practitioners to determine where we can act in ways that will have real impact. And through that work, CC signals has evolved. Community feedback forced us to confront some of our own assumptions and reexamine what it means to support the commons in this new context. Our end goal has not changed, but what we are building to get there has. Read our new blog post to learn more about this journey, and then stay tuned for next week when we will share more about the specific interventions we are building from this foundation.

We’re going to RightsCon! Would you like to come chat with us while we’re there? Please let us know! We are available to chat about our work while we’re in town and may gather a small CC community group for a meal if there’s interest. You can also attend our session: “Collective action for the commons: safeguarding open knowledge in AI” on Thursday, May 7 at 3:15pm. CC will be sharing an update on our AI intervention for discussion, and the feedback we gather will be synthesized as a part of our global consultation on solutions for sharing in the age of AI. Will you be there? Let us know what you have planned and any sessions you are hosting! https://buff.ly/1V8ZZyw

Next month, Monica Granados and Taylor Campbell from Creative Commons will discuss how organizations can join a growing global movement advancing early research sharing and open preprint practices by using, aligning with, and endorsing the Preprint Policy Framework. (https://buff.ly/yRaWyD4) Join us for this event! https://buff.ly/vRvWIl3

Today, we are sharing our newest report, "Licensing Best Practices for Sharing Scientific Data", which extends the open data practices originally designed for climate data in our 2023 report "Recommended Best Practices for the Better Sharing of Climate Data" to other disciplines. By encouraging adoption alongside those already maximizing open access to publicly funded data, our recommendations provide a baseline for globally interoperable and practical licensing and attribution practices. They make open data easier to access, share, and reuse with clear guidance and actionable steps. Consistent licensing reduces legal uncertainty, improves interoperability, and enables faster discovery and collaboration. Adopting these practices strengthens trust, transparency, and global scientific cooperation. Access the full report: https://buff.ly/KmkDLt9 Read the summary version: https://buff.ly/MarwEVz Blog post: https://buff.ly/mkmMe2S Thank you to the The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation who supported our Open Climate Data project, which paved the way for this revised and updated report.

Upcoming events, recent blog posts, community highlights, and more! Sign up for CC's newsletter for the most up-do-date announcements and news from Creative Commons. https://buff.ly/LpaGk5u

We are extending the deadline for submissions to the 25th anniversary zine to August 15! Send us your remixes, your poems, your photography, links to your songs. We want to highlight the messy, creative, playful, political live experiences of our community! https://buff.ly/ZzzMZnJ

Thank you to Gail Simpson, PhD and Arlen Feldman for being among the first to join our Keep the Internet Human campaign! The generosity of our supporters enables CC to continue to fight for a commons built for humans, by humans. You can join us in that mission! While supplies last, donors who give $125 or more will receive a signed copy of Cory Doctorow’s exclusive art book, Canny Valley! https://lnkd.in/gRyFpP6Z

As a part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, we are pleased to announce the launch of a small fund for two to three regional events in 2026 to amplify the contributions of CC communities over the last 25 years and showcase the amazing networks of open advocates around the world. Funding is limited. We invite CC communities globally to express interest, and we are especially interested in proposals from communities based in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. Read more about our selection criteria and how to apply in our recent blog post 👇️

Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday for CC 101: A Brief History, the first event in celebration of our 25th anniversary! If you missed it, or just want to relive the experience, you can watch the recording of the event. https://buff.ly/obRwcTR If you feel inspired after watching, share your own CC origin story! We'll be compiling some highlights as part of our anniversary celebrations. https://buff.ly/HEr700s

We call this the "I Love Sharing" starter pack. For our anniversary, we've relaunched our merch store with all new designs and ways to wear your love for sharing on your sleeve. https://buff.ly/rLxvmTs Background photo: "Looking west - East Room replica - Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum" by Tim Evanson is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.