What a By-ND License Grants and Restricts
A Creative Commons BY-ND license lets others distribute your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you and do not alter, transform, or build upon it. The "BY" requires attribution; the "ND" stands for "No Derivatives." If someone wants to remix, translate, or adapt the material, they must ask for permission. You can also release the work under other terms separately. This balance makes BY-ND popular with photographers, journalists, and educators who want wide reach but strict control over modifications.
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How BY-ND Compares to Other Creative Commons Terms
Creative Commons offers several license combinations. CC BY allows derivatives with credit; CC BY-SA requires derivatives to carry the same license; CC BY-NC prohibits commercial use; CC BY-NC-SA combines non-commercial and share-alike rules. BY-ND sits in the middle: it permits commercial use and redistribution but blocks any remixing. The table below compares the core attributes across the main CC license types.
| License | Allows Commercial Use | Requires Attribution | Permits Derivatives | Share-Alike Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC BY | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| CC BY-ND | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| CC BY-SA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CC BY-NC | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| CC BY-NC-SA | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
When to Choose a BY-ND License
Choose BY-ND when you want maximum distribution but want to prevent others from misrepresenting your work through edits. Photographers often prefer it because cropping, color grading, or digital manipulation can change the meaning of an image. Writers and researchers use it when the integrity of the original text matters more than remix potential. It also works well for archival materials, reference datasets, and factual reporting where derivative versions could introduce errors. If you want your work to spread widely but remain unchanged in spirit, BY-ND is a strong fit.
Common Misunderstandings About No Derivatives
One frequent question is whether minor edits, such as resizing an image or correcting a typo, count as a derivative. The Creative Commons definition treats any adaptation, including cropping or format changes, as a derivative unless it is technically necessary for the medium of sharing. Another confusion is that BY-ND prevents all reuse; in fact, it encourages sharing as long as the original remains intact. A third misconception is that you cannot use BY-ND material in a collage or multimedia project. You can include it, but you cannot alter the licensed element itself.
Best Practices for Marking BY-ND Content
Mark your work clearly with the CC BY-ND 4.0 license deed or the appropriate version number. Include the author name, a link to the license, and a notice that modifications are not allowed. For images, embed the license metadata in the file when possible. If you republish BY-ND material, preserve the original copyright notice and do not apply technical protections that prevent others from accessing the work. Keep a record of the source and the license version to avoid confusion later.
Limitations and Things to Watch
BY-ND licenses are not compatible with GNU Free Documentation License versions that allow invariant sections, and they can complicate translation projects because a translation is legally considered a derivative. Platforms that host user-generated content may filter out BY-ND material in remix tools or editing features. Before applying BY-ND, consider whether you might later want to allow adaptations, because re-licensing existing downloads can be difficult. Finally, confirm that you hold all necessary rights; if a work includes third-party material you cannot license, the BY-ND mark may be invalid.