Flickr to retain Creative Commons images

All Flickr users have good news. The image and video hosting service has announced that all its Creative Commons images — including those uploaded in the past and those that will be added in the future — will remain protected. Creative Commons is a resource that makes images freely available through different copyright licences. Flickr had been a Creative Commons partner distributing millions of photos before being acquired by its new owners SmugMug.

Earlier in November 2018, Flickr announced that it would be limiting free accounts to just 1000 pictures instead of the 1TB storage. It further said that Creative Commons licenced photos uploaded only before November 1 would be allowed to stay. Now, the company has announced that it would be making the policy permanent, that all Creative Commons photos will be allowed on Flickr regardless of date of uploading or 1000 picture limit. The company is also removing the ability to change licence in bulk on photos.

That is because the company says it wants its users to think twice about the consequences of making a photo open to use with the Creative Commons licensing.