The Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license allows users to share, copy, distribute, and adapt the work, even for commercial purposes, as long as proper credit is given to the original creator.
The Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Abstract
Overview
Copy link to OverviewCountry | International |
Start date | 2013 |
Annual Budget | n/a |
Responsible organisation(s) | Academic cooperation |
Target group(s) | |
Policy instrument type |
Background
Copy link to BackgroundDeveloped by Creative Commons, the CC BY 4.0 license is part of a broader effort to standardize and facilitate open access to knowledge across disciplines, including scientific research, education, and government data. The license improves on earlier versions (CC BY 3.0) by expanding global applicability, reducing legal uncertainties, and enhancing attribution requirements.
Objective(s)
Copy link to Objective(s)Promote open access and knowledge sharing by providing a flexible, legally recognized framework for licensing creative and academic works worldwide. Ensure that content remains freely available while allowing adaptations and redistribution with proper attribution.
Public access URL
Copy link to Public access URLAll tags
Copy link to All tags- International Co-operation
- International
- 2013
- Academic cooperation
- Established researchers
- Higher education institutes
- Public research institutes
- Research support staff
- Private R&D
- Academic societies academics
- National government
- Information services and access to datasets
- International coordinated data infrastructures
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© OECD 2025
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. By using this work, you accept to be bound by the terms of this licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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