Skip to Main Content

Creative Commons Licenses — License Compatibility with Multiple Originals

An overview of the open licenses called Creative Commons, which are important in both open access publishing and in Open Education Resources (OER.)

License Compatibility with Multiple Originals

When remixing or making an adaptation using works from multiple sources, the compatibility of licenses is a real issue. Not all licensed content allows remixing, and licenses MUST be followed. This compatibility chart will help users to determine which licenses work together and which do not. 

The original license still applies in the remix.Future users of the remix will have to comply with both the original licenses and the license of the new remix.

It is recommended that the remix license include at least the same license elements as the license(s) applied to the original work(s). Downstream users will then be able to satisfy all licenses. For example, if a user is remixing NC content then the new remix license should also have NC in the license.

In another example, the CC BY license combines easily with most CC licenses, but not with the CC ND licenses, which do not allow remixing/derivatives.

For mor information on this topic, go to: https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Wiki/cc_license_compatibility