Creative Commons helps "achieve the vision of universal access" by providing "a free, public, and standardized infrastructure that creates a balance between the reality of the Internet and the reality of copyright laws."
Through the implementation of Creative Commons licenses and tools, creators can maintain their copyright while allowing particular uses of their work.
For more information see:
http://creativecommons.org/about
With a Creative Commons license, you keep your copyright but allow people to copy and distribute your work provided they give you credit — and only on the conditions you specify here. For those new to Creative Commons licensing, Creativecommons.org prepared a list of things to think about. If you want to offer your work with no conditions, choose the public domain.
1. Make sure your work falls within the CC license
2. Make sure you have the rights
3. Make sure you understand how licenses operate
4. Be specific about what you are licensing
5. Are you part of a collecting society? Does it permit CC?