Understanding Copyright Options on BiscuitReader: A Creator's Guide.
When you upload your creative work to BiscuitReader, one of the most important decisions you'll make is choosing how others can use it. Whether you're sharing poetry, short stories, essays, or other literary works, understanding copyright licensing helps you protect your rights while reaching your intended audience.
This guide explains the eight copyright options available on BiscuitReader, helping you choose the right protection for your work.
Why Copyright Matters
Copyright isn't just legal jargon—it's about control. It determines:
Who can read your work (and where)
Whether others can share it
If someone can adapt or modify it
Whether your work can be used commercially
How you get credited for your creation
On BiscuitReader, we believe creators should have full control over these decisions. That's why we offer multiple licensing options, from complete openness to traditional copyright protection.
Your Copyright Options on BiscuitReader
1. Standard Copyright Protection (All Rights Reserved)
What it means: You retain complete control. You grant BiscuitReader the rights to host and display your work on our platform, but you keep all other rights.
Who can use it:
Only you (and BiscuitReader for platform purposes)
Others need your explicit permission for any use
Best for:
Authors planning traditional publication
Works you intend to sell exclusively
Content you want maximum control over
Professional writers building a portfolio
Example: "I'm working on my first novel. I want feedback from the BiscuitReader community, but I plan to submit it to publishers later. I'll use Standard Copyright Protection so I retain all commercial rights."
2. CC0 - Creative Commons Zero (Public Domain)
What it means: You waive all copyright and related rights. Your work enters the public domain immediately. Anyone can use it for anything without asking permission or giving credit.
Who can use it:
Everyone, for any purpose
Commercial use: ✓ Allowed
Modifications: ✓ Allowed
Credit required: ✗ Not required
Best for:
Educators wanting maximum sharing
Activists spreading important messages
Those who believe in the free culture movement
Writers who want zero barriers to their work
Example: "I write educational articles about climate science. I want teachers worldwide to use them freely in classrooms without worrying about permissions. CC0 is perfect."
3. CC-BY - Creative Commons Attribution
What it means: Others can use your work for anything—even commercially—as long as they credit you as the original creator.
Who can use it:
Everyone, for any purpose
Commercial use: ✓ Allowed
Modifications: ✓ Allowed
Credit required: ✓ Yes
Best for:
Writers building their reputation
Those comfortable with commercial adaptations (with credit)
Content you want widely shared
Authors who value attribution over control
Example: "I write short stories and I'm happy if someone adapts one into a podcast or YouTube video, as long as they mention my name. CC-BY gives me credit while allowing creative reuse."
4. CC-BY-SA - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
What it means: Others can use and modify your work, even commercially, but they must credit you AND release their derivative work under the same license.
Who can use it:
Everyone, for any purpose
Commercial use: ✓ Allowed
Modifications: ✓ Allowed (but must share alike)
Credit required: ✓ Yes
Best for:
Collaborative projects
Open-source advocates
Those who want their work to "stay free"
Community-building initiatives
Example: "I write fantasy world-building guides. I want other authors to build on my work, but I don't want someone to take my ideas, add to them, and then copyright the expanded version. ShareAlike ensures it stays open."
Note: This is the "copyleft" license—it ensures freedom propagates to derivative works.
5. CC-BY-ND - Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives
What it means: Others can share your work, even commercially, but they cannot change, modify, or build upon it. They must credit you and keep it intact.
Who can use it:
Everyone, for sharing only
Commercial use: ✓ Allowed (unchanged)
Modifications: ✗ Not allowed
Credit required: ✓ Yes
Best for:
Poets wanting exact preservation
Authors who want work shared but not altered
Academic or artistic works where integrity matters
Speeches, manifestos, or statements
Example: "I write poetry. I'm happy if a website republishes my poem or a company uses it in a presentation, but I don't want anyone changing my words. CC-BY-ND protects the integrity of my art."
6. CC-BY-NC - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
What it means: Others can use and modify your work for non-commercial purposes only, as long as they credit you. Commercial use requires your permission.
Who can use it:
Everyone, for non-commercial purposes
Commercial use: ✗ Requires permission
Modifications: ✓ Allowed (non-commercial)
Credit required: ✓ Yes
Best for:
Writers who want educational/personal sharing
Those reserving commercial rights
Community projects with commercial boundaries
Authors building audience before monetizing
Example: "I write travel essays. I'm happy if bloggers share or adapt them for their personal blogs, but if a travel company wants to use my writing in their marketing, I want to negotiate payment."
7. CC-BY-NC-SA - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
What it means: Others can modify your work for non-commercial purposes, provided they credit you and share their derivative under the same license. Commercial use forbidden.
Who can use it:
Everyone, for non-commercial purposes
Commercial use: ✗ Requires permission
Modifications: ✓ Allowed (non-commercial, share-alike)
Credit required: ✓ Yes
Best for:
Educational resources
Community knowledge projects
Those protecting against commercial exploitation
Writers wanting non-commercial collaboration
Example: "I create character development worksheets for writers. I want writing groups to adapt them for their needs and share improvements, but I don't want a publishing course to sell them. CC-BY-NC-SA allows community growth while blocking commercial exploitation."
8. CC-BY-NC-ND - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
What it means: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. Others can download and share your work for non-commercial purposes only, with credit, but cannot change it or use it commercially.
Who can use it:
Everyone, for non-commercial sharing only (unchanged)
Commercial use: ✗ Requires permission
Modifications: ✗ Not allowed
Credit required: ✓ Yes
Best for:
Authors wanting maximum protection with some sharing
Personal essays or memoirs
Works with both integrity and commercial concerns
Traditional authors allowing limited preview sharing
Example: "I've written chapters of my memoir. I want book clubs and readers to share them, but I don't want them edited or used commercially. CC-BY-NC-ND allows personal sharing while I retain commercial rights and artistic integrity."
Quick Reference Chart
License Commercial Use Modifications Share-Alike Credit Required
Standard Copyright ✗ ✗ - -
CC0 ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗
CC-BY ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓
CC-BY-SA ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
CC-BY-ND ✓ ✗ - ✓
CC-BY-NC ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓
CC-BY-NC-SA ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
CC-BY-NC-ND ✗ ✗ - ✓
Decision Framework: Which License Should You Choose?
Ask yourself these questions:
1. Do you want commercial rights?
YES, I want to retain all commercial rights → Standard Copyright, CC-BY-NC, CC-BY-NC-SA, or CC-BY-NC-ND
NO, others can use commercially → CC0, CC-BY, CC-BY-SA, or CC-BY-ND
2. Can others modify your work?
NO, I want it preserved exactly → Standard Copyright, CC-BY-ND, or CC-BY-NC-ND
YES, modifications are fine → CC0, CC-BY, CC-BY-SA, CC-BY-NC, or CC-BY-NC-SA
3. If modifications are allowed, must they share-alike?
YES, derivatives must stay open → CC-BY-SA or CC-BY-NC-SA
NO, no requirement → CC0, CC-BY, or CC-BY-NC
4. Do you want credit?
NO, credit not needed → CC0
YES, I want attribution → Any CC-BY license or Standard Copyright
Important Notes About Your Rights on BiscuitReader
What You Always Grant to BiscuitReader
Regardless of which license you choose, when you upload to BiscuitReader you grant us a non-exclusive license to:
Host your work on our platform
Display it to readers who access it
Make technical copies necessary for platform operation (backups, caching, etc.)
Include it in search results and discovery features
This is NOT exclusive—you retain all ownership and can publish your work anywhere else, remove it anytime, or license it differently to other platforms.
What We Will NEVER Do
Use your work to train AI or machine learning models (without your express written permission)
Claim ownership of your work
Prevent you from removing your work
Change your chosen license without your permission
Share your work beyond what your chosen license allows
You Can Change Your License
You can update your copyright license at any time in your account settings. However, note that:
Any copies already distributed under the previous license remain under that license
For Creative Commons licenses, once granted, that permission cannot be revoked for existing copies (but you can change it going forward)
Standard Copyright can be applied at any time for maximum protection
Common Questions
Q: Can I use different licenses for different works?
A: Yes! Each work you upload can have its own license. Your poetry might be CC-BY-NC-ND while your blog posts are CC-BY.
Q: What if someone violates my license?
A: Contact us at legal@biscuitreader.com. We'll investigate and can remove content that violates your copyright. You may also have legal recourse depending on the violation.
Q: Can I sell work I've released under Creative Commons?
A: Yes! Creative Commons licenses are non-exclusive. Even if you release something as CC-BY, you can still sell it, publish it traditionally, or license it exclusively to someone else.
Q: What's the difference between CC0 and CC-BY?
A: CC0 waives all rights—even attribution. CC-BY requires people to credit you. If you want recognition for your work, use CC-BY instead of CC0.
Q: Which license do most BiscuitReader authors use?
A: It varies by genre and intent:
Fiction writers often use: Standard Copyright or CC-BY-NC-ND
Educators often use: CC-BY or CC-BY-SA
Bloggers often use: CC-BY-NC
Poets often use: CC-BY-ND or Standard Copyright
Q: Can I dual-license my work?
A: Not simultaneously on BiscuitReader (you must choose one option per work), but you can offer your work under different licenses on different platforms. For example: Standard Copyright on BiscuitReader, but CC-BY on your personal blog.
Real-World Examples
Example 1: The Educational Essayist
Sarah writes: Educational articles about sustainable living
Her choice: CC-BY
Why: She wants maximum reach and doesn't mind commercial use (like eco-blogs sharing her content) as long as she gets credited. She's building her reputation as an expert.
Example 2: The Aspiring Novelist
Marcus writes: Chapters of his debut novel
His choice: Standard Copyright
Why: He plans to pursue traditional publishing and needs to retain all rights. BiscuitReader lets him build an audience while keeping his options open.
Example 3: The Poetry Purist
Aisha writes: Contemporary poetry
Her choice: CC-BY-ND
Why: She wants her poems shared and read widely (including in commercial publications) but doesn't want anyone changing her words. Artistic integrity matters most.
Example 4: The Community Educator
James writes: Programming tutorials
His choice: CC-BY-SA
Why: He wants teachers and bloggers to improve and expand his tutorials, but he wants those improvements to remain open and free for everyone. ShareAlike ensures the knowledge stays accessible.
Example 5: The Memoir Writer
Chen writes: Personal essays and memoir chapters
Her choice: CC-BY-NC-ND
Why: She wants book clubs and friends to share her writing, but she's reserving commercial rights for eventual publication and doesn't want her personal stories altered.
Tips for Choosing Your License
Start restrictive, loosen later: It's easier to make your work more open than to restrict it after release.
Consider your goals:
Building reputation? → CC-BY gives maximum spread with credit
Selling later? → Standard Copyright or NC licenses
Community building? → SA licenses encourage collaboration
Artistic integrity? → ND licenses prevent changes
Think about your audience:
Teachers/educators? → They appreciate BY or BY-SA
General readers? → They won't mind any license
Commercial publishers? → They need Standard Copyright
Remember: You keep ownership: Even CC0 doesn't transfer ownership to others—it just removes restrictions on use.
When in doubt, ask: Our community forums have experienced authors who can share what worked for them.
Additional Licenses to Consider
While BiscuitReader currently supports the eight licenses above, you might encounter these elsewhere:
GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL)
Popular for technical documentation and manuals. Similar to CC-BY-SA but with specific provisions for software documentation. Not currently offered on BiscuitReader, but commonly used for wikis and technical writing.
MIT License / BSD License
Common for software source code, but rarely used for literary works. These are permissive licenses similar to CC-BY.
All Rights Reserved (Traditional Copyright)
This is functionally the same as our "Standard Copyright Protection" option—you retain all rights and others need explicit permission for any use.
Making the Right Choice
There's no "wrong" choice—only the choice that's right for your goals. Consider:
Where you are in your career: Early career writers often choose more open licenses to build audience; established authors might be more protective.
Type of content: Educational content benefits from openness; commercial fiction benefits from protection.
Your values: Do you believe in free culture? Or do you value commercial opportunity?
Your plans: Publishing traditionally? Keep it restricted. Building a platform? Open it up.
Resources
Creative Commons Official Site: creativecommons.org
License Chooser Tool: creativecommons.org/choose
BiscuitReader Help Center: www.biscuitreader.com/help/copyright
Contact Us: legal@biscuitreader.com for specific copyright questions
Conclusion
Copyright isn't one-size-fits-all. BiscuitReader gives you eight thoughtfully curated options because different creators have different needs. Whether you're releasing your work into the public domain with CC0, protecting your commercial rights with Standard Copyright, or finding a middle ground with Creative Commons licenses, the choice is yours.
Remember: You can always change your license, experiment with different options for different works, and adjust your strategy as your goals evolve. The most important thing is making an informed choice that aligns with your creative and professional objectives.
Ready to upload your work? Choose your copyright license with confidence, knowing you're in control.
Questions? Join the discussion in our Community Forums or contact us at legal@biscuitreader.com.
About BiscuitReader: We're a platform dedicated to empowering writers with full control over their creative rights. Learn more at www.biscuitreader.com.
This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific legal questions about copyright, consult a qualified attorney.
Published by BiscuitReader Team | Last Updated: 14th January 2026