If you’re looking for free images for your website or blog, then check out Flickr’s new Creative Commons page.

Many Flickr users offer their work under a Creative Commons license, and you can browse or search through content under each type of license. Confused about the different CC licenses? Here is what the different Creative Commons licenses mean.

Attribution icon means:

You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your copyrighted work – and derivative works based upon it – but only if they give you credit.

Noncommercial icon means:

You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your work – and derivative works based upon it – but for noncommercial purposes only.

No Derivative Works icon means:

You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform only verbatim copies of your work, not derivative works based upon it.

Share Alike icon means:

You allow others to distribute derivative works only under a license identical to the license that governs your work.

Which license is right for you?

The Flickr Creative Commons website has a wizard that helps you choose the license most appropriate to your needs.

You might like to read:

• A list of all 6 licenses and their explanations,
• The Creative Commons FAQ, or
• Information specifically for photographers & illustrators.

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/

To be honest, I find all this a bit too much.

Do you think there should be one master CC license?

Would this simplify or complicate things?

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