When publishing your files you can select the license that will be associated with them. Originally, the licensing options are supported for the image formats only, with the support for video and audio and text formats to be enables soon.
Macula offers the flexibility to apply distinct licenses to each transformation you create and publish.
In addition to the metadata already contained in an image, Macula automatically populates necessary fields based on the license you choose when publishing. This includes your name as the creator, a credit line, a Web Statement with the full text of the license, and a copyright notice featuring the necessary details for proper attribution of your work.
Now, regardless of where you publish the image with the Unified Link, it’s copyright information will always accompany it. Anyone who wishes to use your work will have all the necessary information to do so in a correct way. Besides, Macula’s Unified Link gives others an easy and convenient way to reshare your images: ensuring proper attribution and adherence to the terms you've established.
A nice bonus: Macula automatically populates all the metadata fields necessary for your photos to get a "Licensable" badge when shown in Google Images search results.
<aside> 💡 See the full metadata of your images and find out whether they will receive a “Licensable” badge with Macula’s free tools: Metadata Viewer and Licensable Badge Checker.
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Macula provides the following license options:
| License name | Description |
|---|---|
| Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) | Others can use, share, and modify your work as long as they provide a proper attribution to you as the author and indicate the changes that were made. |
| Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) | In addition to attribution, this license requires derivative works to be distributed under the same license as the original. |
| Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) | This license forbids commercial usage (i.e., those who use your work cannot make money off of it). |
| Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) | This license combines the limitations of previous ones, forbidding commercial usage and requiring the derivative work to be shared under the same license. |
| Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) | This license forbids any modifications or transformations of the original work. |
| Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) | This license forbids both commercial usage and modifications of your work. |
| CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication | Dedicating a work to the public domain means you give up your copyright, essentially making it free for anyone to use for any purpose. |
<aside> 💡 This provides an overview of all Creative Commons licenses for your general understanding. Copyright is a serious topic, and we highly encourage you to fully understand the license you pick before applying it. Remember, CC licenses are not ****revocable.
Learn more about Creative Commons licenses here.
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When you’re in the heat of the moment, it’s easy to dismiss boring things like copyright and licensing. After all, the copyright is created the moment you press the shutter, right? Right?
While the copyright law of most jurisdictions is on the creator’s side, without a clear indication of your authorship and the licensing conditions, handling infringements can be a long and painful process. Besides, the amount of compensation (and whether or not you’ll receive any at all) from the infringer depends on how you prepare in advance.