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Legal Framework
How does the German copyright law work?
The German copyright law states that only the creator of a work holds the absolute right to that work. This right arises automatically with the creation of the work; separate labelling or registration is not required. The copyright cannot be transferred to third parties; only usage rights (e.g. to publishers) can be granted. In Germany, copyright lasts for 70 years after the creator's death. Thereafter, if no subsequent rights have been specified, a work is considered public domain. Find more information about copyright here.
What is a Creative Commons License (CC License)?
With Creative Commons (CC), creators decide under what conditions their works may be reused. These flexibly definable CC licenses lie between the traditional German copyright and the public domain (PD). To create a CC licence, you can combine the following four module elements:
- BY - Attribution: The creator muss be credited.
- ND - No Derivatives: Derivatives or adaptations of the work are not permitted.
- SA - Share Alike: Derivatives or adaptations of the original work must be published under the same CC licence as the original work.
- NC - Non-Commercial: The work is not to be used for commercial purposes
