For more than a decade, we at Creative Commons have been doing things a bit different. Most lawyer-types, for example, use a copyright license to say “no.” We use them to say yes. And most non-profits — desperate for support from their community — use December to say “Please.” But we think January is getting short shrift here. So we’re asking you — long after those other “annual campaigns” have ended — to give the idea of helping us one more thought.

When we launched Creative Commons ten years ago, we were excited to give people the tools they need to more easily share their work, and  spread creativity. Thousands have used our tools. Millions — heck probably a billion — objects are now shared. And whole industries depend upon free and easy access to make their businesses run (remix, anyone?). When most thought we were a bit nuts, we said there was an obvious space between the extremisms of “All Rights Reserved” and “No Rights Respected.” Now just about everyone agrees the point is obvious, and the space needs to be protected. Creative Commons now stands for something — something a wide range of creators, from teachers, to musicians, to film makers, to Wikipedians, can all embrace as an obvious part of creativity’s culture.

But there is a great deal left to be done, and we still need your support to keep the lights on, so these licenses of freedom can be spread.

If you can, please help. Ten years in, and we still have ten times the work to do.

Stand with us as we continue that work.