Copyright restrictions can be OPENED with an overlaying Creative Commons License

The rights granted through copyright law - to the copyright owner - can have an addendum added by the copyright owner only - to give away some of those copy rights.

Using a Creative Commons License or GNU or other legal license addendum

to give away some of your legal copy rights,

may be referred to as opening your property license (copy right).

Such "Opened Content" is ONLY as opened as the attached license indicates.

Creative Commons Licenses ONLY apply to works that are protected by copyright.
They provide a legal way to remove some copyright restrictions.
Share your work: Choose a Creative Commons License:
Copyright owners can choose which copyright restrictions to remove by selecting the appropriate Creative Commons License.

After a Creative Commons License is attached to a work, it can not be revoked for that copy of the work...but the copyright owner still retains all rights and privileges of copyright for their work.