If you create content online, you’ve probably utilized the Creative Commons search engine before. The CC search engine has been a trusted method for creators to find images, videos, and other open source media for their projects. The CC search engine is going through a rebranding and will now be known at the Openverse and will operate through WordPress. 

Using images you’ve found online for your content can be tricky. Websites are changing their rules to keep competitors from benefiting from their image searches, and the Openverse will be an open source option for users to find media they can use safely. Let’s look at what the Openverse is and how it will benefit creators. 

 

What is the Openverse?

The free to use search engine was purchased by Atomattic from the Creative Commons and will go through a rebranding. It will now be known as the Openverse, and is hosted on WordPress. 

Creators are busy enough as it is and the last thing that should be on their mind is whether the open source media they’re using is actually licensed properly. Platforms like Unsplash have wanted to weed out competitors profiting off of the images on their servers, so they’ve changed the licensing rules for the content. Most of these search engine websites have made it so their images cannot be used on WordPress, which is causing a lot of problems for their users. 

 

How Does Openverse Work?

Someone running a blog should be able to post a stock image without having to hire a lawyer to make sure it’s safe to use. The Openverse will give users a place to confidently find media for their websites with a seamless content-creation process if they’re utilizing WordPress. 

Openverse will operate on the WordPress server, so users can access it without leaving to go to another website. Not only that, but creators can add their media to the library so other users can access it and grow an endless library of content. 

The idea is not only to make it easy for creators to share their images, but for everyone to have a place to access Creative Commons licensed media without hassle. With licensing changes, it can be difficult to tell when an image on the internet is actually CC licensed or not without doing some digging. No one has the time for that, and most people do not know how to sift through legal jargon. 

Openverse is intended to be a space for everyone to find and contribute media. The developers want someone who takes pictures on their phone to be able to upload their content alongside the professionals that give back by posting Creative Commons media. 

The project launched in January 2022, and if you go to the Creative Commons search engine, it will direct you to the Openverse. Other platforms will be doing the same. All of the content you’ll find in Openverse is public domain or Creative Commons licensed, so even the most inexperienced user can safely find and use images.