Web Search Help

Google Help › Web Search Help › Using Web Search › Features › Usage rights

Features: Usage rights

General information

The Usage Rights feature helps you find published content that you can share or modify above and beyond fair use, such as the following:

Music
Photos
Movies

Books
Educational materials

Applying the feature

To access the feature, follow these steps:

On the Google homepage, click the Advanced Search link to the right of the search box.
Click the Date, usage rights, numeric range, and more link at the bottom of the page.
In the 'Usage rights' drop-down menu, select one the following:
- 'Free to use or share': You can copy or redistribute the results.
- 'Free to use, share, or modify'
- If you choose the 'not filtered by license' option, you'll simply get standard, unfiltered Google results.
To use a work commercially, please be sure to select an option containing the term 'commercially.'
Fill out the other relevant fields on the page and click the Advanced Search button.

The Usage Rights feature identifies websites whose owners have indicated that they carry a Creative Commons license. By returning these search results, Google isn't making any representation that the linked content is actually or lawfully offered under a Creative Commons license. It's up to you to verify the terms under which the content is made available and to make your own assessment as to whether these terms are lawfully applied to the content.