A note before the definitions
This glossary offers general, plain-language descriptions of terms that come up around copyright and licensing. It is not legal advice. Rules differ between countries and can change, and the exact wording of a license or contract controls what it means. When money, contracts or a dispute is involved, consult official guidance from your national copyright office or a qualified professional.
Core rights terms
Copyright. A legal right that gives the creator of an original work certain control over how it is copied, shared, adapted and displayed. In many countries it arises automatically when a work is created and fixed in some form, though the details differ. The basics are covered in copyright basics.
Author, creator and rights holder. The author or creator made the work. The rights holder is whoever owns the rights now. These may be different people, since rights can be transferred.
Exclusive rights. The set of actions that generally require the rights holder’s permission, such as reproducing, distributing, adapting or publicly performing a work.
Moral rights. In some countries, personal rights of the creator, such as being named as the author or objecting to distortion of the work. They exist in some legal systems and not in others.
Work for hire. An arrangement in some legal systems where the employer or commissioning party, rather than the individual creator, is treated as the author or owner. When it applies depends on local law and the contract.
Ownership and transfer. Rights can be sold or assigned to someone else. Owning a physical copy of something, like a print or a file, usually does not mean owning the copyright in it.
Permission terms
License. Permission from a rights holder to do specific things with a work, usually with conditions. A license can be broad or narrow, free or paid, and it can last a limited time.
Licensor and licensee. The licensor grants the license. The licensee receives it.
Exclusive and non-exclusive license. An exclusive license means only the licensee may use the work in the specified way. A non-exclusive license allows the rights holder to license the same work to others too.
Scope. What a license actually allows: where, for how long, in which formats and for what purpose. Many problems come from using a work outside its scope.
Royalty-free. Often misunderstood. It usually means you pay once, or nothing, rather than paying per use. It does not mean there are no restrictions. Terms still apply, as discussed under using stock media.
Rights-managed. A license priced and limited according to a specific use, such as a particular region or time period.
Commercial and non-commercial use. Commercial use generally means use intended to make money or support a business. The exact line differs between licenses, so read the definition used in the license you have.
Permission or release. A written agreement from a person or owner allowing you to use their work, image or likeness. Releases are especially important when featuring identifiable people; see getting consent when featuring people.
Terms of use. The conditions a website or service sets for using its content. They can be binding even when a license is not formally named.
Open and shared use terms
Attribution. Credit to the creator. Many open licenses require it, and the license usually says how to give it, commonly including the creator’s name, the title and a link to the license.
Creative Commons. A family of standardized public licenses that creators can apply to their works. They have different conditions, such as requiring credit or forbidding commercial use. Details are in open licenses.
ShareAlike. A condition that requires adapted works to be shared under the same or a compatible license.
NoDerivatives. A condition that allows copying and sharing but not modifying the work.
NonCommercial. A condition that limits use to non-commercial purposes.
Public domain. Works that are not protected by copyright, for example because protection expired or never applied. Whether a work is public domain can depend on the country, so check carefully. See public domain for the broader picture.
Reuse and adaptation terms
Derivative work. A new work based on or adapted from an existing one, such as a translation, an arrangement or a remix. Creating one usually requires permission unless the license, an exception or the public domain applies.
Remix. A reworking that combines or alters existing material. Whether it is allowed depends on the permissions behind each piece.
Fair use and fair dealing. Limited exceptions in some countries’ laws that allow certain uses without permission. They are fact-specific and not consistent between countries, which is why they are so often confusing. See fair use for more.
Infringement. Using a protected work in a way that requires permission without having it. If it happens to your work, the options are outlined in infringement response.
Takedown notice. A formal request, made to a host or platform, to remove content that is claimed to infringe rights.
Orphan work. A work whose rights holder cannot be identified or found despite a reasonable search.
Related terms
Credit line. The text naming a creator or source, such as “Photo by” followed by a name. A good source credit is useful even when it is not legally required.
Provenance. The documented history of where a work came from and who has owned or used it. Keeping records of where you got material makes later questions easier.
Reading licenses sensibly
When in doubt, read the full license text instead of a summary, keep a record of where each asset came from, and ask the rights holder if the terms are unclear. Guidance from an official copyright office is more dependable than a general glossary such as this one.