CC BY

CC BY

CC BY or Creative Commons Attribution is a copyright license that allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license is open-ended and does not expire.

Overview

The CC BY license is one of several public copyright licenses that enable the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted work. It is a part of the Creative Commons suite of licenses, which were created to facilitate open and free sharing of knowledge and creativity.

The license is used by many open access journals, and required by some funders of scientific research, such as the Wellcome Trust and the Research Councils UK.

Terms and Conditions

The CC BY license includes the following terms and conditions:

• Attribution: The user must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. This may be done in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses the user or the user's use.

• No additional restrictions: The user may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Use in Medical Research

In the field of medical research, the CC BY license is often used to ensure that research findings are freely available to all. This promotes transparency, reproducibility, and the advancement of medical knowledge. It is particularly important in the context of public health emergencies, where rapid and open access to research findings can save lives.