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Why Creative Commons licences?  Because they offer a better alternative to the usual "all rights reserved" copyright. By reserving rights selectively with a Creative Commons licence,  our composers and authors can protect their rights and assure greater exposure for their work.

For example:  many of the new music and new media  items in the Torcroft Press catalogue are licenced under the Creative Commons "attribution, no derivatives, non-commercial" licence.  This means that a work can be used or redistributed so long as the name of the author or composer is  mentioned ("attribution"), that the work is not changed, or a new work is not derived from it ("no derivatives"), and that no commercial use is made of the work ("non-commercial), without the permission of the author or composer.  We should add here at Torcroft that composers and authors hold the copyright on their works, not Torcroft Press LLC.  Interested in doing any of those things with works you've seen or bought? Just ask. Most authors and composers are at least interested in hearing an offer.

Those are the don'ts.  The do's are these: 

• Once you download a work, you can make as many copies of it as you need.  If the work is a choral work, you need only one copy, since you can make as many copies as singers. If it's an instrumental work, you can make enough copies for all the players.
  

• You can share copies with your friends, or even line your birdcage.
  

So long as these activities don't violate the terms of the licence, you are free to do them. Why do we allow this? It's really quite simple.  We don't want others to profit by the work of our artists, it's true.  But, we also want their works to go far and wide, to be enjoyed, to be challanging, and to spur creativity by others.  By putting our works "in the commons" we enhance the experience of all people.  Besides, it's good for our authors and composers.  For composers of new music especially,  sheet music sales aren't a great money maker.  However, exposure to a wider audience of players and listeners means a higher profile, which means more chances for commissions, residencies, paying performances, and other activities.  For our authors, too, it means greater exposure and maybe recognition by more conventional publishers.

To sum up then, it's about balance: the right to make a fair return from creative work, and not to be ripped off,  balanced with the opportunity for greater exposure and the chance to contribute to the common culture.

In the future, look for works licenced under other Creative Commons licences.  Why not go to Creative Commons and learn about them and the various licences.  You will also learn of the spread of Creative Commons around the world.