Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is creativecommons.org legit or a scam?
creativecommons.org was registered Jan 15, 2001 (25 years old), per public registration records. AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns creativecommons.org?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for creativecommons.org. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
When was creativecommons.org registered?
creativecommons.org's registration dates to Jan 15, 2001 (25 years old), per public registration records. Gandi SAS is the registrar on record today.
Correct a description, link or other detail. Submissions are reviewed before publication.
Building tools for shared knowledge - Creative Commons
Creative Commons is an international nonprofit organization that develops free licensing tools and public domain frameworks enabling creators, institutions, and the public to share knowledge and cultural works under standardized copyright permissions. The CC licenses are used by Wikipedia, Flickr, The Met, Khan Academy, and millions of others globally to grant permission for reuse while protecting creator rights.
AboutUs Site Facts
Independent record by AboutUs · not written by creativecommons.org
creativecommons.org
aboutus.com/creativecommons.orgScores refreshed Oct 25, 2026Not an official or audited rating
SignalMeasured
Authority
Link-graph prominence, 0–99
98
Safety
No known risk flags
Known risk signals, not a check pass rate
90
Registered
Jan 15, 200125 years old · RDAP fetched Sep 30, 2026
Registrar
Gandi SAS
Measurements, not a verdict about the site. Authority scores draw on Open PageRank link-graph data.
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 25 years ago · on AboutUs since 2006 · 1 registrar change since Oct 3, 2011 · 4 ownership changes since 2011 · last checked Oct 28, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredJan 15, 2001creativecommons.org was registered on Jan 15, 2001.Source: RDAP, fetched Sep 30, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageAboutUs wiki pageJun 19, 2006 – Nov 3, 2013An AboutUs wiki page described creativecommons.org from Jun 19, 2006 to Nov 3, 2013 (35 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Registrar
Gandi SAS (R42-LROR)Oct 3, 2011 – Apr 9, 2014Registrar Gandi SAS (R42-LROR) in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for creativecommons.org, from Oct 3, 2011 to Apr 9, 2014.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)GANDI SAS
Ownership
Ownership recordsOct 3, 2011 – Jun 29, 2026Registration records for creativecommons.org are held from Oct 3, 2011 to Jun 29, 2026 (251 records). 4 changes of registrant name or organization are marked. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Zone file
No nameserver records held, Aug 2012 – Feb 2014No nameserver records held, Apr 2014 – Jul 2016Nameservers: creativecommons.orgOct 3, 2011 – Aug 3, 2012Registration records listed creativecommons.org nameservers (ns1.creativecommons.org, ns2.creativecommons.org, ns3.creativecommons.org) for creativecommons.org from Oct 3, 2011 to Aug 3, 2012.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Certificate
GeoTrustFeb 2, 2011 – Feb 4, 2013GeoTrust issued 1 certificate for creativecommons.org from Feb 2, 2011, the latest valid until Feb 4, 2013.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)StartCom Ltd.Jan 31, 2012 – Apr 5, 2014
20052010201520202025Apr ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (31)
Jan 15, 2001Registration: creativecommons.org was registered on Jan 15, 2001.Source: RDAP, fetched Sep 30, 2026
Jun 19, 2006 – Nov 3, 2013AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described creativecommons.org from Jun 19, 2006 to Nov 3, 2013 (35 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jul 1, 2006AboutUs record: “A non-profit that offers an alternative to full copyright. Offering work under a Creative Commons license does not mean giving up copyright. It means offering some of an author's rights to any taker, and only on certain…”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Jul 1, 2007AboutUs record: “CreativeCommons.org is the home of the Creative Commons (CC), a non-profit dedicated to helping copyright holders be able to distribute and share their work on the web.”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2007
Feb 2, 2011 – Feb 4, 2013Certificate: GeoTrust issued 1 certificate for creativecommons.org from Feb 2, 2011, the latest valid until Feb 4, 2013.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Oct 3, 2011 – Apr 9, 2014Registrar: Registrar Gandi SAS (R42-LROR) in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for creativecommons.org, from Oct 3, 2011 to Apr 9, 2014.
Automated safety checks
DNS (passed)
HTTPS (passed)
Page metadata (passed)
Security headers (failed)
Add the HSTS, Content-Security-Policy, and X-Frame-Options response headers.
AboutUs has not vetted this site. Everything below is what we could measure automatically. Anything you do on the site — paying, sharing personal details, downloading — is between you and the site, not AboutUs.
Current facts
Latest available measurements; dated entries retain their dates. These are measurements, not an endorsement of the site.
latest result
Creative Commons — company name on record since 2006; still matches the live site.
latest result
Domain registered Jan 15, 2001 — 25 years old.
latest result
Registrar on record: Gandi SAS — unchanged since AboutUs began tracking (Jul 21, 2026).
latest result
HTTPS request succeeded for creativecommons.org.
checked Sep 29, 2026
The site names Creative Commons as the organisation behind it.
checked Sep 29, 2026
The live front page reads as a non-profit, association or religious site that is funded by donations or members, mainly for a general audience.
Authority 98/100— ahead of 98% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
98 is a percentile: higher than 98% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #189)+12
Verified continuity: 25.8 years (RDAP registration)+11
Identity corroboration (capped)+4
Security & email hygiene+5
Prominence × continuity interaction+1
Calibration adjustment (published map)+21
Model score: 54/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
What creativecommons.org said about itself, 2006–2007
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (2 versions). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2006
A non-profit that offers an alternative to full copyright. Offering work under a Creative Commons license does not mean giving up copyright. It means offering some of an author's rights to any taker, and only on certain conditions.
2007
CreativeCommons.org is the home of the Creative Commons (CC), a non-profit dedicated to helping copyright holders be able to distribute and share their work on the web.rewritten
Now
Creative Commons is an international nonprofit organization that develops free licensing tools and public domain frameworks enabling creators, institutions, and the public to share knowledge and cultural works under standardized copyright permissions. The CC licenses are used by Wikipedia, Flickr, The Met, Khan Academy, and millions of others globally to grant permission for reuse while protecting creator rights.
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date; self-description below is the 2013 record.
2001
Domain registered (Jan 15, 2001).
2006
First tracked by AboutUs (Jun 19, 2006); profile edited 35 times through 2013.
✓ name continuity same company name for 20 years✓ domain continuity 25 years registered✓ live verified Oct 29, 2026
Said about itself in 2006
Jul 1, 2006
“A non-profit that offers an alternative to full copyright. Offering work under a Creative Commons license does not mean giving up copyright. It means offering some of an author's rights to any taker, and only on certain…”
Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Said about itself in 2007Jul 1, 2007“CreativeCommons.org is the home of the Creative Commons (CC), a non-profit dedicated to helping copyright holders be able to distribute and share their work on the web.”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2007
Current AboutUs recordJun 17, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Oct 25, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
GANDI SAS
Jul 7, 2016 – Oct 29, 2026 (latest)
Registrar GANDI SAS (IANA 81) in the registration data recorded, first on Jul 7, 2016 and most recently on Oct 29, 2026.
Source: RDAP, fetched Sep 30, 2026
Ownership change
Feb 6, 2014
The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Feb 6, 2014. Who it changed to is in the full report.
Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Ownership changeApr 9, 2014The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Apr 9, 2014. Who it changed to is in the full report.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Ownership changeJul 7, 2016The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Jul 7, 2016. Who it changed to is in the full report.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Ownership changeSep 17, 2016The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Sep 17, 2016. Who it changed to is in the full report.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
4 ownership changes, 2011–2026
Nameservers: Amazon Route 53Feb 6, 2014 – Apr 9, 2014Registration records listed Amazon Route 53 nameservers (ns-1088.awsdns-08.org, ns-1742.awsdns-25.co.uk, ns-455.awsdns-56.com…) for creativecommons.org from Feb 6, 2014 to Apr 9, 2014.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to Amazon Route 53Feb 6, 2014creativecommons.org's nameservers moved from creativecommons.org to Amazon Route 53 at some point between Aug 3, 2012 and Feb 6, 2014. Last seen at creativecommons.org: Aug 3, 2012 (registration record). First seen at Amazon Route 53: Feb 6, 2014 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 18 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Nameservers: CloudflareNameservers: CloudflareJul 7, 2016 – Jun 29, 2026Registration records listed Cloudflare nameservers (fiona.ns.cloudflare.com, isaac.ns.cloudflare.com) for creativecommons.org from Jul 7, 2016 to Jun 29, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to CloudflareJul 7, 2016creativecommons.org's nameservers moved from Amazon Route 53 to Cloudflare at some point between Apr 9, 2014 and Jul 7, 2016. Last seen at Amazon Route 53: Apr 9, 2014 (registration record). First seen at Cloudflare: Jul 7, 2016 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the about 2 years in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
StartCom Ltd. issued 3 certificates for creativecommons.org from Jan 31, 2012, the latest valid until Apr 5, 2014.
Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
GANDI SASNov 14, 2013 – Nov 14, 2015GANDI SAS issued 2 certificates for creativecommons.org from Nov 14, 2013, the latest valid until Nov 14, 2015.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
GeoTrust Inc.Nov 20, 2014 – Apr 1, 2018GeoTrust Inc. issued 2 certificates for creativecommons.org from Nov 20, 2014, the latest valid until Apr 1, 2018.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
GlobalSign nv-saMay 20, 2015 – Dec 31, 2015GlobalSign nv-sa issued 6 certificates for creativecommons.org from May 20, 2015, the latest valid until Dec 31, 2015.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
COMODO CA LimitedCOMODO CA LimitedOct 25, 2015 – Aug 8, 2020COMODO CA Limited issued 21 certificates for creativecommons.org from Oct 25, 2015, the latest valid until Aug 8, 2020.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Let's EncryptJun 22, 2016 – Sep 20, 2016Let's Encrypt issued 2 certificates for creativecommons.org from Jun 22, 2016, the latest valid until Sep 20, 2016.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Let's EncryptDec 2, 2016 – Aug 30, 2017Let's Encrypt issued 4 certificates for creativecommons.org from Dec 2, 2016, the latest valid until Aug 30, 2017.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
CloudFlareMar 26, 2020 – Apr 28, 2024CloudFlare issued 10 certificates for creativecommons.org from Mar 26, 2020, the latest valid until Apr 28, 2024.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Let's EncryptLet's EncryptApr 9, 2020 – Feb 16, 2026Let's Encrypt issued 58 certificates for creativecommons.org from Apr 9, 2020, the latest valid until Feb 16, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Google Trust Services LLCMay 29, 2022 – Aug 25, 2024Google Trust Services LLC issued 13 certificates for creativecommons.org from May 29, 2022, the latest valid until Aug 25, 2024.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Google Trust ServicesJul 25, 2024 – Feb 7, 2026Google Trust Services issued 18 certificates for creativecommons.org from Jul 25, 2024, the latest valid until Feb 7, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Let's EncryptApr 5, 2026 – Oct 29, 2026 (latest)Let's Encrypt issued 77 certificates for creativecommons.org from Apr 5, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 23, 2027. Seen in use on Oct 28, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Oct 28, 2026
Google Trust ServicesAug 10, 2026 – Oct 29, 2026Google Trust Services issued 2 certificates for creativecommons.org from Aug 10, 2026, the latest valid until Dec 30, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)
Oct 3, 2011 – Jun 29, 2026Ownership: Registration records for creativecommons.org are held from Oct 3, 2011 to Jun 29, 2026 (251 records). 4 changes of registrant name or organization are marked. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Oct 3, 2011 – Aug 3, 2012Zone file: Registration records listed creativecommons.org nameservers (ns1.creativecommons.org, ns2.creativecommons.org, ns3.creativecommons.org) for creativecommons.org from Oct 3, 2011 to Aug 3, 2012.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Jan 31, 2012 – Apr 5, 2014Certificate: StartCom Ltd. issued 3 certificates for creativecommons.org from Jan 31, 2012, the latest valid until Apr 5, 2014.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Nov 14, 2013 – Nov 14, 2015Certificate: GANDI SAS issued 2 certificates for creativecommons.org from Nov 14, 2013, the latest valid until Nov 14, 2015.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Feb 6, 2014Ownership: The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Feb 6, 2014. Who it changed to is in the full report.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Feb 6, 2014 – Apr 9, 2014Zone file: Registration records listed Amazon Route 53 nameservers (ns-1088.awsdns-08.org, ns-1742.awsdns-25.co.uk, ns-455.awsdns-56.com…) for creativecommons.org from Feb 6, 2014 to Apr 9, 2014.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Feb 6, 2014Zone file: creativecommons.org's nameservers moved from creativecommons.org to Amazon Route 53 at some point between Aug 3, 2012 and Feb 6, 2014. Last seen at creativecommons.org: Aug 3, 2012 (registration record). First seen at Amazon Route 53: Feb 6, 2014 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 18 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Apr 9, 2014Ownership: The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Apr 9, 2014. Who it changed to is in the full report.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Nov 20, 2014 – Apr 1, 2018Certificate: GeoTrust Inc. issued 2 certificates for creativecommons.org from Nov 20, 2014, the latest valid until Apr 1, 2018.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
May 20, 2015 – Dec 31, 2015Certificate: GlobalSign nv-sa issued 6 certificates for creativecommons.org from May 20, 2015, the latest valid until Dec 31, 2015.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Oct 25, 2015 – Aug 8, 2020Certificate: COMODO CA Limited issued 21 certificates for creativecommons.org from Oct 25, 2015, the latest valid until Aug 8, 2020.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Jun 22, 2016 – Sep 20, 2016Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 2 certificates for creativecommons.org from Jun 22, 2016, the latest valid until Sep 20, 2016.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Jul 7, 2016 – Oct 29, 2026Registrar: Registrar GANDI SAS (IANA 81) in the registration data recorded, first on Jul 7, 2016 and most recently on Oct 29, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Sep 30, 2026
Jul 7, 2016Ownership: The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Jul 7, 2016. Who it changed to is in the full report.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Jul 7, 2016 – Jun 29, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed Cloudflare nameservers (fiona.ns.cloudflare.com, isaac.ns.cloudflare.com) for creativecommons.org from Jul 7, 2016 to Jun 29, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Jul 7, 2016Zone file: creativecommons.org's nameservers moved from Amazon Route 53 to Cloudflare at some point between Apr 9, 2014 and Jul 7, 2016. Last seen at Amazon Route 53: Apr 9, 2014 (registration record). First seen at Cloudflare: Jul 7, 2016 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the about 2 years in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Sep 17, 2016Ownership: The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Sep 17, 2016. Who it changed to is in the full report.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Dec 2, 2016 – Aug 30, 2017Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 4 certificates for creativecommons.org from Dec 2, 2016, the latest valid until Aug 30, 2017.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Mar 26, 2020 – Apr 28, 2024Certificate: CloudFlare issued 10 certificates for creativecommons.org from Mar 26, 2020, the latest valid until Apr 28, 2024.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Apr 9, 2020 – Feb 16, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 58 certificates for creativecommons.org from Apr 9, 2020, the latest valid until Feb 16, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
May 29, 2022 – Aug 25, 2024Certificate: Google Trust Services LLC issued 13 certificates for creativecommons.org from May 29, 2022, the latest valid until Aug 25, 2024.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Jul 25, 2024 – Feb 7, 2026Certificate: Google Trust Services issued 18 certificates for creativecommons.org from Jul 25, 2024, the latest valid until Feb 7, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Apr 5, 2026 – Oct 29, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 77 certificates for creativecommons.org from Apr 5, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 23, 2027. Seen in use on Oct 28, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Oct 28, 2026
Jun 17, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Oct 25, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Aug 10, 2026 – Oct 29, 2026Certificate: Google Trust Services issued 2 certificates for creativecommons.org from Aug 10, 2026, the latest valid until Dec 30, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Published Authority (percentile): 98/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 4 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 4 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
No caution flags in the available scoring observations; this is not a complete safety assessment
AboutUs summary of the current website, Sep 30, 2026.