CC BY-NC (Attribution-NonCommercial)¶
CC BY-NC allows sharing and adaptation but prohibits commercial use. This is popular with individual creators who want their work shared freely among individuals and educators, while reserving commercial rights.
At a Glance¶
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| SPDX Identifier | CC-BY-NC-4.0 |
| Type | Restrictive |
| Free Culture | No |
| Attribution Required | Yes |
| Commercial Use | Prohibited |
What It Allows¶
- Sharing and redistribution
- Modification and adaptation
- Private use
- Educational use (if non-commercial)
- Any format or medium
What It Requires¶
- Give appropriate credit
- Provide a link to the license
- Indicate if changes were made
- Use only for non-commercial purposes
What It Prohibits¶
- Commercial use
- Implying endorsement
- Adding legal restrictions
Defining "NonCommercial"¶
The NC restriction is the most debated aspect of Creative Commons licensing. The license defines noncommercial as:
not primarily intended for or directed towards commercial advantage or monetary compensation
What's clearly non-commercial:¶
- Personal blogs without ads
- Classroom use by teachers
- Research without commercial funding
- Non-profit organization use
What's clearly commercial:¶
- Selling the work
- Using in advertising
- Including in for-profit products
- Commercial website content
The gray areas:¶
| Use Case | Commercial? |
|---|---|
| Blog with ads | Debated—depends on primary purpose |
| University use | Usually non-commercial, but varies |
| Corporate training | Often commercial |
| Non-profit selling merchandise | Debated |
| Sponsored YouTube video | Likely commercial |
NC creates uncertainty
The gray areas around NonCommercial create hesitation for many potential users. If broad adoption matters, consider whether NC serves your goals.
Why NC Is Controversial¶
The case for NC:¶
- Protects creators from exploitation
- Reserves commercial rights for licensing deals
- Allows free sharing without "giving away" everything
- Popular with photographers, artists, musicians
The case against NC:¶
- "NonCommercial" is poorly defined
- Creates legal uncertainty for users
- Excludes Free Culture/Open Source communities
- May reduce adoption and impact
- Many educational contexts are ambiguous
Dual Licensing with NC¶
Many creators use NC strategically:
- Release under CC BY-NC for free sharing
- Offer commercial licenses separately for paying customers
This is similar to software dual licensing (e.g., GPL + commercial license).
NC and Other Restrictions¶
NC can combine with other elements:
| License | Commercial | Derivatives | ShareAlike |
|---|---|---|---|
| CC BY-NC | No | Yes | No |
| CC BY-NC-SA | No | Yes | Yes |
| CC BY-NC-ND | No | No | — |
CC BY-NC-ND is the most restrictive standard license (short of "all rights reserved").
When to Choose CC BY-NC¶
CC BY-NC may be appropriate when:
- You want to reserve commercial rights
- Your audience is primarily non-commercial (educators, individuals)
- You're testing the waters before going more open
- Commercial licensing is part of your business model
When to Choose Something Else¶
- Want maximum adoption → CC BY or CC0
- Want derivatives to stay open → CC BY-SA (with commercial allowed)
- Want to prevent modifications → CC BY-ND or CC BY-NC-ND
- For software → Don't use CC at all
The Free Culture Perspective¶
Creative Commons, FSF, and Wikipedia consider NC licenses "non-free" because they restrict who can use the work. Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons don't accept NC-licensed content.
If you want your work to be part of the broader open knowledge commons, avoid NC.
Notable Uses of CC BY-NC¶
- Many individual photographers and artists
- Some educational materials
- Personal music releases
- Various YouTube creators (though this limits reuse)