Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools. It was founded in 2001 by Lawrence Lessig, Hal Abelson, and Eric Eldred with the goal of expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. Creative Commons licenses provide a flexible range of protections and freedoms for authors, artists, and educators. They have been adopted by millions of creators worldwide and are used by organizations such as Wikipedia, Flickr, and the White House.