In Canada all creative works, including graphics and music, are protected by copyright law. Copyright determines how a creator’s work can be used, and copyright protection is automatic, even if you don’t see a copyright symbol or notice. (information from Seneca Copyright Basics )
Creative Commons licenses are an easy way for creators to share their work while retaining copyright over it. These licenses may allow for the sharing or modification of original works without the need to contact copyright owners, and are intended to give creators more freedom over how their work is used.
There is more than one type of Creative Commons license. Some are very open and some have more restrictions.
Read a list of common Creative Commons licenses with descriptions.The short answer is yes.
You may see Creative Commons works marked as being in the public domain or stating that they are no rights reserved (CC0). At Seneca and other academic institutions you will still need to credit these works in order to follow good academic integrity practices. Presenting the work of others as if it is your own may be considered plagiarism. Crediting all works you use, including Creative Commons licensed works, clearly shows which parts of a project are your own original content and what came from other sources.
A few helpful sources for finding Creative Commons licensed resources include:
A good attribution for a CC licensed work will include the author, the title of the work, the source, and the license type, along with links. For examples please see CC Wiki’s Best Practices for Attribution.
Whenever possible include attribution or citation information directly underneath an image. If that’s not possible, you can usually list this information at the end of your work. For specific examples, please see: