The goal of using CC licenses is to make sharing easier, and although CC licenses may appear simple, they are still designed to protect the rights of creators. Sometimes misuse is accidental or out of ignorance; other cases of misuse may be deliberate.
The Creative Commons site outlines steps to take if you suspect misuse of your CC-licensed work:
- Figure out in detail what the actual misuse is.
- Start by contacting the person who reused your work and see if there is a way to correct the error. Maybe the error is as simple as correcting the attribution and problem can be resolved quickly.
- CC 4.0 licenses grant 30 days for the licensee to correct problems before the licensor can begin the termination procedure. If the licensee does not make satisfactory corrections to the use of the work, send a takedown notice to the licensee.
- If early efforts fail, send a legal notice and take legal action. The licensor or copyright holder may be entitled to damages.
