Guide to 
using public 
domain tools
Creative Commons makes sharing easy
What Is Creative Commons?
Creative Commons is a global nonprofit organization 
dedicated to supporting an open and accessible Internet 
that is enriched with free knowledge and creative resources 
for people around the world to use, share, and cultivate.
Our easy-to-use licenses provide a simple, standardized way 
to give the public permission to share and use your creative 
work — on conditions of your choice. CC licenses let you 
change your copyright terms from the default of “all rights 
reserved” to “some rights reserved.”
Millions of people use CC licenses on some of the world’s 
most popular platforms for user-generated content. When 
you use a CC license to share your photos, videos, or blog, 
your creation joins a globally accessible pool of resources 
that includes the work of artists, educators, scientists, and 
governments.
Creative Commons has waived all copyright and 
related or neighboring rights to this guide using the 
CC0 Public Domain Dedication.
What is the difference between  
CC0 and the Public Domain Mark?  
 
CC0 (“CC Zero”) is intended for use only 
by authors or holders of copyright and 
related rights (including database rights), in connection 
with works that are still subject to those rights in one or 
more countries.
When CC0 is applied to a work, copyright and related 
rights are relinquished worldwide, making the work free 
from those restrictions to the greatest extent possible.
The Public Domain Mark (PDM) is used 
to label works that are already free of 
known copyright restrictions. Unlike CC0, PDM doesn’t 
change the copyright status of a work.
PDM can be used by anyone, and is intended for use 
with works that are already free of known copyright 
restrictions throughout the world. 
Public domain works are valuable because anyone 
can freely build upon, enhance, and reuse them for 
any purposes without restriction under copyright 
or database law.
That’s why it’s important for creators to have a clear and 
legally robust way to place their works in the public domain as 
completely as possible, and it’s also important for publishers 
and archives to have a standardized way to identify works that 
are already in the public domain.
Creative Commons supports two distinct public domain tools, 
the CC0 Public Domain Dedication and the Public Domain 
Mark. Creative Commons copyright licenses help authors 
manage their copyright on terms they choose. Conversely, CC0 
enables authors and copyright owners who want to dedicate 
their works to the worldwide public domain to do so, and PDM 
facilitates the labeling and discovery of works that are already 
free of known copyright restrictions.
Where public domain tools fit in the copyright spectrum
Some rights 
reserved
All rights 
reserved
PDM
No known 
copyright
CC0
Public 
domain
The CC0 Public Domain Dedication
Use this universal tool if you are a holder of copyright or database 
rights, and wish to waive all your rights to the work worldwide.
By using CC0, you waive all copyright and related rights 
together with all associated claims and causes of action with 
respect to this work to the extent possible under the law. 
Applying CC0 to your work is easy. Simply visit the CC0 chooser 
(http:/ /creativecommons.org/choose/zero) which will lead you 
through the process. When completed, you will be provided 
with HTML code that you can copy and paste into your website.
You let others copy, modify, distribute, and perform the work, 
even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. 
Works marked with the Public Domain Mark have been 
identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright 
law, including all related and neighboring rights. Anyone can 
copy, modify, distribute, and perform such works, even for 
commercial purposes, all without asking permission.
Applying the PDM to a work is easy. Simply visit the PDM