Creative Commons is a nonprofit organisation that allows authors, artists, scientists and educators to brand their creative work with the specific freedoms they choose. You have probably seen many Creative Commons badges on the Web, some stating "All Rights Reserved" and others "Some Rights Reserved." When developing elearning content, you may also choose Creative Commons licensing for your creations. However, it is important that you understand exactly what the licensing means.

Luckily, there are several tutorials available online that clearly explain the importance of licensing your work and how Creative Commons works. The four resources below are definitely worth a look. Even if you feel you that you already understand the process, the tutorials may surprise you:

1. Sharing Creative Works - presented in bold illustrations like a comic book, this seemingly simple tutorial on Creative Commons is surprisingly in-depth.

2. Mahalo Daily: Creative Commons Licensing – this video blog features an interview with the creative director of Creative Commons, Eric Steur. Here, you will learn what makes Creative Commons licensing different from other copyrights.

3. Does Creative Commons free your content? – this popular CNet article attempts to clarify the ins and outs of Creative Commons for those who aren't quite sure what it means. An unbiased view of the licensing service, you will find some pros and cons of Creative Commons listed here.

4. What is Creative Commons – this introduction from FeedForAll gives examples of the different licensing options provided by Creative Commons. 

Copyright laws seem to confuse many Internet users, particularly young adults who have always had the Internet at their fingertips. According to a study conducted by two professors at American University and the Washington College of Law, 87% of students regularly violate copyright laws on social networking sites.

Elearning is a fairly new medium, making it harder for people to grasp how copyright laws apply. Creative Commons is different from standard copyright protection, allowing you to be a bit more lenient with the distribution of your work. It is definitely a service that I have personally found useful, so I highly recommend that elearning content developers learn more about Creative Commons.

Heather Johnson is a freelance writer as well as a regular feature contributor for Distance Degrees.com, a website which helps students in getting distance learning degrees. Heather invites your writing job inquiries as well as comments and questions at her email address: heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com.

A guest posting from Heather Johnson