List of free-content licences
This is a list of free content licenses not specifically intended for software. For information on software-related licenses, see Comparison of free and open-source software licenses.
A variety of free content licenses exist, some of them tailored to a specific purpose. Also listed are open hardware licenses, which may be used on design documents of and custom-made software for open-source hardware.
List
For documents and text
- FreeBSD Documentation License
- GNU Free Documentation License, or GFDL
- GNU Simpler Free Documentation License, or GSFDL
- Open Content License, obsolete
- Open Publication License, obsolete
For other content types, including audio and video
- Against DRM license
- Creative Commons licenses which are considered free:
- Creative Commons Attribution, or CC BY
- Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike, or CC BY-SA
- Creative Commons Zero, or CC0 [1]
- Creative Archive Licence, discontinued license of the BBC Archive
- Design Science License
- Dominion Rules Licence, used for tabletop games
- Free Art License
- IPA Font license
- Open Audio License
- Open Game License, used for tabletop games
- SIL Open Font License
- WTFPL
For hardware
Using software licenses for other content
Some free software licenses, including the GNU General Public License (GPL) and European Union Public Licence, can also be used to license content other than software. However, the FSF has recommended against using the GPL for educational works.[2]
Notes
- ^ CC0 is technically not a license, although it is often called one. The legal code of CC0 does contain a "Public License Fallback" clause, which will act as a free content license when a jurisdiction does not recognizes the 'waiving your rights' part for some reason. See also the CC0 FAQ.
- ^ Free Software Foundation. "FAQ about the GNU Licenses - Can I use the GPL for something other than software?". gnu.org.