CC0-1.0
Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal
Public domain / equivalentSPDX:
CC0-1.0ScanCode: Public DomainIn one sentence
The author waived essentially all copyright interest. Maximal freedom, but a few caveats survive.
What catches people out
- CC0 explicitly does not grant patent or trademark rights.
- Creative Commons recommends against CC0 for software; some organizations' policies flag it.
Using CC0-1.0 code
You can
- Use, modify, and distribute for any purpose, with or without attribution
- Relicense the result however you like
You must
- Nothing, in copyright terms — attribution is courtesy, not obligation
- Still check for trademark and patent claims, which a waiver may not cover
You cannot
- Assume the waiver is valid in every jurisdiction (some do not permit dedication to the public domain)
- Assume any warranty or patent grant comes with it
This is not legal advice. Your obligations depend on how you use the code and your jurisdiction. Consult counsel for production risk.
Check a repository
Paste any public GitHub repository to see whether it really is CC0-1.0, with the evidence behind the answer.