Free content

Free content, libre content, or free information is any kind of functional work, work of art, or other creative content that meets the definition of a free cultural work. A free cultural work is, according to the definition of Free Cultural Works, one that has no significant legal restriction on people's freedom to:


 * use the content and benefit from using it,
 * study the content and apply what is learned,
 * make and distribute copies of the content,
 * change and improve the content and distribute these derivative works.

Free content encompasses all works in the public domain and also those copyrighted works whose licenses honor and uphold the freedoms mentioned above. Because the Berne Convention in most countries by default grants copyright holders monopolistic control over their creations, copyright content must be explicitly declared free, usually by the referencing or inclusion of licensing statements from within the work.