CC BY-SA (ShareAlike)
What is CC BY-SA (ShareAlike)?
Definition: CC BY-SA is a Creative Commons license that allows sharing, adapting, and redistribution of materials as long as attribution is given and derivatives are licensed under the same terms.
CC BY-SA, short for Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike, is designed to encourage remixing and redistribution. It allows anyone to copy, modify, and redistribute the original material, including for commercial purposes, as long as the creator receives proper credit and the new work is released under the same licensing terms. This structure aims to balance freedom to reuse with accountability for attribution and licensing consistency across derivatives.
Core components: Attribution (BY) requires credit to the creator; ShareAlike (SA) requires derivatives to be licensed under the same or a compatible license.
The BY component ensures that the original author is acknowledged for their contribution. The SA component ensures that any new work built from the original remains open under the same license terms, preserving the ability for others to reuse and adapt the derivative with attribution. Together, these components create a loop of recognition and openness that supports ongoing collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Scope: Materials covered include original works, translations, adaptations, and educational resources unless explicitly excluded.
CC BY-SA covers a wide range of materials, including text, images, audio, video, translations, and derivative works. It is commonly used for educational resources, open textbooks, and community-created media. However, some works may be explicitly excluded by the author or publisher. Always check the license text and any accompanying notices to confirm what is allowed and what is restricted.
How CC BY-SA Works
Attribution requirements: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
To comply with CC BY-SA, you should identify the creator, provide the work’s title when possible, link to the license, and note any modifications. The attribution should be clear and placed in a manner comparable to other attributions for the work. If you alter the content, you must disclose the changes so that downstream users understand what was modified.
ShareAlike mechanism: Any derivative works must be shared under CC BY-SA or a compatible license, preserving the attribution and license terms.
When you create a derivative, you must license it under CC BY-SA or another license deemed compatible with CC BY-SA. This ensures that the openness of the derivative remains in line with the original licensing intent. You must also maintain the attribution and indicate the license terms for the new work, so others can continue to reuse it under the same framework.
Derivatives and adaptations: Modifications are allowed; you may combine CC BY-SA content with other works, but the resulting work must be licensed under CC BY-SA (or a compatible license) if it qualifies as a derivative.
Modifications, remixes, translations, and adaptations are permitted under CC BY-SA. When combining CC BY-SA content with other works, the final product must still be licensed under CC BY-SA or a compatible license if it qualifies as a derivative. If the combined work is not a derivative, different licensing may apply to non-derivative components, but the CC BY-SA portions must remain under the SA terms and attribution requirements.
Key Terms and Concepts
Attribution (BY): Credit must be provided to the creator in a reasonable manner.
Attribution means acknowledging the original creator in a way that is appropriate to the medium and context. It should include enough information for others to identify the source material and its author, without implying endorsement. Reasonable disclosure of authorship helps sustain trust and traceability in shared works.
ShareAlike (SA): Derivatives must be released under the same license terms.
Under SA, any derivative work must carry the same or a compatible license, ensuring that downstream users can continue to reuse and adapt the content under the same freedoms. This term preserves the open licensing ecosystem and reduces the risk of license fragmentation when content is redistributed.
Derivative works: Any adaptation, remix, translation, or modification of the original material.
A derivative work is created when the original material is transformed in a meaningful way. This includes edits, reformatting, new translations, or combining CC BY-SA content with other material. The derivative inherits the SA terms and attribution requirements, aligning with the license’s intent to maintain openness through generations of reuse.
Practical Uses in Education
Open textbooks and course materials: Create, modify, and redistribute educational resources for classrooms and online courses.
Educational institutions and educators frequently use CC BY-SA content to develop open textbooks, syllabi, readings, and other course materials. The license makes it possible to tailor resources to local curricula, languages, and cultural contexts. Instructors can adapt examples, add culturally relevant content, and redistribute updated materials to students and peers, all while ensuring proper attribution and licensing continuity.
Course slides and multimedia: Share lecture slides, diagrams, and videos with attribution and SA terms.
Open slides, graphics, diagrams, and multimedia can be reused and repurposed for different courses or presentations. By applying CC BY-SA, educators can enrich learning experiences with community-generated visuals and video clips, then license the derivatives under the same terms. This approach promotes collaborative improvement and broad access to high-quality teaching materials.
Compatibility and Licensing Landscape
License compatibility: Some licenses may not be compatible with SA terms; verify compatibility when combining works.
Not all licenses play nicely with SA terms. Some permissions and copyleft licenses may impose restrictions that conflict with CC BY-SA’s sharing requirements. Before combining materials from different licenses, verify that the licenses are compatible. If compatibility is uncertain, seek alternatives or permission from the rights holder to ensure compliant reuse.
Combining with other licenses: You can mix CC BY-SA with other compatible licenses, but the end product must preserve the SA terms for derivatives.
Mixing CC BY-SA content with works under other licenses can broaden reuse opportunities, provided the licenses are compatible. However, any derivative that qualifies as a combined work must continue to be released under CC BY-SA (or a compatible license) to maintain the chain of openness. This helps ensure that future users retain the same freedoms when building upon the work.
Implementation Guidelines
How to attribute correctly: Include author, title, license URL, and a note about changes if any were made.
When attributing CC BY-SA content, include the creator’s name, the work’s title (if available), a link to the license, and a clear statement about any alterations. A typical attribution might look like: “Original by [Author], ‘[Title]’ licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, changes made.” Ensuring this information is visible and unambiguous helps others reuse the material confidently.
- Author or creator name
- Title of the work (if available)
- Link to the license
- Note about changes or modifications
Choosing the right version: Prefer the latest CC BY-SA version (e.g., 4.0) for broader compatibility and updated terms.
Version selection matters because license terms evolve. The latest commonly used version, CC BY-SA 4.0, offers clearer language, international applicability, and more robust compatibility guidance. When in doubt, default to the most recent version published by Creative Commons to maximize interoperability and reduce licensing friction for future reuse.
- Check the license badge displayed with the work
- Confirm the exact license URL (e.g., /licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- Verify the version for compatibility and guidance
Common Pitfalls and Misconceptions
Misunderstanding attribution: Not all attributions look the same; include the required elements clearly.
Attribution can vary by medium, but essential elements must be present. Ambiguity or incomplete credit can put users at risk of non-compliance. When in doubt, copy a standard attribution format that includes author, title, license, and changes, and place it near the work or in an accessible credits section.
Assuming non-commercial equals non-use restrictions: BY-SA does not restrict commercial use; ensure SA terms are followed for derivatives.
A common misconception is that non-commercial use is required under BY-SA. In fact, the BY component allows commercial use as long as attribution is provided and derivatives are shared under SA terms. The non-commercial aspect refers to other licensing restrictions rather than restrictions on commercial reuse. Always ensure that derivative works adhere to SA terms regardless of the commercial status of the original material.
Tools and Resources
Finding CC BY-SA materials: Use Creative Commons search and repositories that tag BY-SA works.
To locate BY-SA content, rely on official search portals and reputable repositories that tag works with their licenses. This makes it easier to verify licensing terms before reuse. Curated collections from libraries, universities, and open education initiatives are often reliable sources for BY-SA materials.
- Creative Commons search portals
- Open educational resource repositories
License verification: Check the license badge, license URL, and version to ensure compliance.
Always verify the details shown with the material. Look for a license badge, read the exact license URL, and confirm the version (for example, 4.0). This practice helps prevent misinterpretation of terms and reduces the risk of inadvertent misuse when sharing or adapting content.
- License badge and text
- Direct license URL
- Version number
Trusted Source Insight
For additional context on how open licensing supports quality education and adaptation, consider this trusted source:
Trusted Source Insight: Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Licensing.
Trusted Summary: UNESCO highlights open educational resources and open licensing as key ways to expand access to quality education. Creative Commons licenses, including CC BY-SA, support adaptation and redistribution with attribution, enabling localization and collaborative knowledge creation in education.