Creative Commons

Another #PublicDomainFriday, another gem! This piece, from "The Blood Collages of John Bingley Garland (ca. 1850–60)" is available from the Harry Ransom Center!

Share your own favorite work at the end of each week with us using #PublicDomainFriday!

hrc.contentdm.oclc.org

We're starting #PublicDomainFriday where we share one gem from the public domain each week. And how could we not start with this one? Share your own favorite public domain image or remix this one and share with the hashtag!

I Know a Secret by Eulalie Osgood Grover, 1911. buff.ly/6xypGGQ

Happy Birthday, Wikipedia! A quarter-century of keeping knowledge free and human for everyone—we'll toast to that! Join us in celebrating by sharing your favorite random Wiki article! 🗞️ #Wikipedia25 @wikimediafoundation.org

Image: Adam Jenkins licensed with CC BY 2.0

Create Commons Licenses Support Anti-Racist Teaching Practices Open pedagogy is anti-racist because it empowers each student to show that their learning matters. This is especially important for those who have been told by the structures of our systems that their scholarship is inferior and they do not belong in college.

CC Certificate alum Professor Gregory Beyrer shares how using CC licenses supports his anti-racist teaching practices. Register for an upcoming Cert Course to deepen your understanding of open licensing while connecting it directly to your current work! buff.ly/JAvA8Cp

Register: buff.ly/OKFO1BN

Read our latest issue brief, which explains how the generative AI training process works, why it raises copyright questions, and the factors that courts and policymakers are considering.

bit.ly/49RzfYA

Image by Miguel Discart & Kiri Karma, CC BY-SA 4.0, remixed by Creative Commons, CC BY 4.0.

Open Heritage Statement

Sign the Open Heritage Statement to join this rewarding work! openheritagestatement.org/home#signthe...

What does Tanya Richard from the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum think about the importance of open heritage? "This sometimes messy and boisterous and chaotic work can be challenging, but it's always worth it."

What is your story about the importance of open heritage?

Building the Future in 2026 - Creative Commons Creative Commons looks forward to 2026 and the three strategic priorities that will guide the work and lead the commons through the age of AI.

We recently reflected on our work in 2025, which reaffirmed our purpose and sharpened our priorities in this age of AI. Read our newest blog post for more info on our three strategic goals and how we're working toward them in 2026: creativecommons.org/2026/01/08/b...

In Q4, CC continued our work in international fora that shape cultural rights and copyright, as well as our advocacy for AI policies that serve the public interest.

Read the full policy review: buff.ly/hBal5Z2

"Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building," Carol M Highsmith, 2007, CC0, Flickr.

Image: Photo by Jocelyn Miyara/Creative Commons, 2025, CC BY 4.0.

We’ve built the commons together, and we must protect it together.

There’s still time! You can make a gift to Creative Commons before the new year and help us protect the commons from new threats brought by the advent of mainstream, commercial AI. Make a gift today!

www.classy.org/give/313412/...

Imagee: “Science Center” by slava, CC BY 2.0, Flickr.

Research that was once freely available is being removed or locked behind paywalls, hindering scientific advancement. Today over a million scientific preprints are accessible through CC licenses, and we’re working to grow that number. Join us with a gift today. www.classy.org/give/313412/...

CC has big things coming in 2026! Stay up to date with all the news, events, and updates to come by signing up for our newsletter.

mail.creativecommons.org/subscribe

The opportunity to expand efforts around open climate data is greater than ever, and we are proud to be part of this growing momentum worldwide. ⛅

Advising several organizations on licensing and policy, including the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), ECMWF, EUMETSAT, Australia Bureau of Meteorology, WMO Africa, Intertidal, and others!

Working with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to strengthen openness across their reporting system through clearer licensing practices. This will help researchers around the world access and build upon current climate science.

Partnering with world’s largest climate data producers during the development of our Recommendations for Better Sharing of Climate Data, a valuable resource for everyone publishing and using open data (a more generalized report for all research data is forthcoming!).

Key wins include: advising the Group on Earth Observations as they make it easy for their 100+ member organizations to follow global data sharing principles with CC licensing. Their data platform is expected to be a role model when it comes to usage of licenses, attributions, and related metadata.

2025 was a big year for CC's efforts to expand the accessibility and interoperability of climate data globally. This Open Climate Data project, generously funded by the McGovern Foundation, focused on building the tools and guidance needed to ensure that knowledge flows freely and openly. 🧵

Image: “Museum” by Karen_O’D, CC BY 2.0, Flickr.

This year, Creative Commons became a UNESCO NGO partner and launched its Open Heritage Statement, two huge steps forward in our work to make culture accessible to everyone and preserve it for future generations. This momentum shows what’s possible, but we need you to keep it going.

buff.ly/hHt9R7h

The Case of the Disappearing Copyright: Virtual Public Domain Day 2026 On January 1, 2026, creative works from 1930 and sound recordings from 1925 enter the public domain. Celebrate with us online January 21!

Creative Commons is joining @archive.org to celebrate new works entering the public domain! Registration is open for events on January 21:

Virtual event, The Case of the Disappearing Copyright: buff.ly/U6N6Wrl

In-person celebration, 2026 Public Domain Film Remix Contest & Party: buff.ly/HNldaNi

“Kaleidoscope 2” by Sheila Sund is licensed under CC BY 2.0, remixed by Creative Commons licensed under CC BY 4.0.

The end of the year always marks an opportunity to reflect on all that we've achieved this past year. Read our wrap-up blog post for more on this big year: buff.ly/0kpZKbj

Thank you to everyone who has supported us and been an invaluable part of this work. What do you want to see from CC in 2026?

Proud to partner with @creativecommons.bsky.social on some incredible work with @mozdatacollective.bsky.social 👏
datacollective.mozillafoundation.org

New blog post! What have we been working on with CC signals in 2025?

Get involved:
📝 Read the blog post: buff.ly/GC0ZkYn
🙋‍♀️ Express interest in participating in the Mozilla Data Collective pilot project: buff.ly/MGCl1b3
🎁 Support CC signals with a gift: buff.ly/tEg1IkU

With AI bots flooding their online repositories, it’s getting harder for libraries to keep knowledge open and accessible to everyone. We want to help them have a say in how their collections are used in AI training. Join us in this work with a donation today.

www.classy.org/give/313412/...

Statement — Open Heritage Statement The Open Heritage Statement supports UNESCO's efforts to promote equitable access to heritage in line with its normative work on cultural rights, digital transformation, knowledge sharing for…

The TAROCH Coalition is now the Open Heritage Coalition, a clearer, more accessible name that puts the Open Heritage Statement at the center our global advocacy advancing equitable access to heritage in the public domain. Learn more and sign the Statement buff.ly/ZyplbNX

Image: "Distorted Sand Mine" by Lone Thomasky & Bits&Bäume, licensed under CC BY 4.0.