Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools.
Their free, easy-to-use copyright licenses provide a simple, standardized way to give the public permission to share and use your creative work — on conditions of your choice. CC licenses let you easily change your copyright terms from the default of “all rights reserved” to “some rights reserved.”
Creative Commons licenses are not an alternative to copyright. They work alongside copyright and enable you to modify your copyright terms to best suit your needs.
Types of Licenses
Source: Creative Commons
Descriptive annotation example in APA format is reproduced from "How to write annotated bibliographies" on the Memorial University Libraries website.
Descriptive annotation example in MLA format is reproduced from "Writing an Annotated Bibliography" on the Saint Mary's University Library's website.
(Creative Commons Infographic from: Technology Enhanced Learning Blog)
Open Content and OER
Defining the "Open" in Open Content and Open Educational Resources:
The terms "open content" and "open educational resources" describe any copyrightable work (traditionally excluding software, which is described by other terms like "open source") that is licensed in a manner that provides users with free and perpetual permission to engage in the 5R activities: