Licensing & Usage Rights

Understanding licensing is crucial for using content from Artivism Media. This page explains what "Commons" means in our context, the different license types we support, and how to properly attribute and reuse content.

What is "Commons" for Artivism Media?

The "Commons" refers to content that is freely available for reuse, sharing, and remixing under open licenses or in the public domain. At Artivism Media, we prioritize content that is part of the commons because it aligns with our mission of making movement history accessible and reusable.

Our Commons section provides a dedicated interface for browsing and filtering content by license type, making it easy to find content you can legally reuse.

License Types

Artivism® License (CC+)

This is a custom Artivism® License in CC+ (Creative Commons Plus). It uses a standard Creative Commons license to openly share specific Artivism® creative content under defined reuse conditions, while also indicating that additional permissions may be available through a separate agreement or link.

CC+ is not a separate license. It is a protocol that points from a Creative Commons license to a place where expanded permissions can be obtained.

  • Creative works released under this model are governed by a Creative Commons license that defines standard reuse terms.
  • The CC+ protocol signals that rights beyond the base CC license (e.g., commercial use, use without attribution, warranty services, or other permissions) may be available through a separate agreement or link.
  • A clear reference (for example, "more permissions available at…") accompanies the license to indicate where those extra rights can be requested or negotiated.

The Artivism® logo, trademark/brand, design, patents, and projects remain reserved and protected intellectual property of the company founded by Christian Cassella. These are not granted automatically under the Creative Commons portion of the license. Any additional rights to use protected branding or proprietary assets are handled through the CC+ pathway or separate agreements.

Public Domain (CC0)

Content in the public domain has no copyright restrictions. You can use, modify, and distribute it freely without attribution, though attribution is always appreciated.

Example: Historical photographs, works whose copyright has expired

CC BY (Attribution)

You can use, modify, and distribute the work, even commercially, as long as you provide attribution to the original creator.

Required: Credit the creator, link to the license, indicate if changes were made

Example: "Photo by [Author Name], licensed under CC BY 4.0"

CC BY-SA (Attribution-ShareAlike)

Similar to CC BY, but any derivative works must be licensed under the same terms (ShareAlike). This ensures that remixes remain open.

Required: Attribution + license derivative works under CC BY-SA

CC BY-NC (Attribution-NonCommercial)

You can use and modify the work with attribution, but not for commercial purposes.

Restriction: No commercial use allowed

CC BY-ND (Attribution-NoDerivatives)

You can use and distribute the work with attribution, but cannot create derivative works.

Restriction: No modifications or remixes allowed

All Rights Reserved

Some content in our archive is included for documentation purposes but remains under full copyright. Check the license information for each item before reuse.

Note: Contact the rights holder for permission to reuse

How to Attribute Content

Proper attribution is required for most Creative Commons licenses. A good attribution includes:

  • Title: The name of the work
  • Author: The creator's name (with link if available)
  • Source: Link to the original work
  • License: The license type with link to license deed

Example Attribution:

"Protest March 2020" by Jane Doe, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Source: https://www.artivism.media/image/example

Using Content from Artivism Media

Example: Reusing a CC BY Photo

  1. Find the photo in our archive and check its license (should be CC BY or similar)
  2. Download or link to the original source
  3. Include proper attribution when using the photo
  4. Respect any additional restrictions (e.g., non-commercial, no derivatives)

Example: Citing for Academic Use

Each item in our archive includes citation information in multiple formats. Use the citation provided on the item's detail page for academic papers.

See our Commons Guide for more examples.

Takedown & Rights Holder Information

If you are a rights holder and believe content in our archive violates your copyright:

  • Contact us through our contact form
  • Provide the URL or ID of the content in question
  • Include proof of ownership (copyright registration, authorship evidence)
  • Describe the specific issue

We will review your request and respond within 5-7 business days. See our takedown policy for more details.

Learn More

Browse Commons — Find reusable content

Commons Guide — Detailed usage guide

Contact Us — Questions about licensing