Creative Commons license
license allowing free use of a work
Was a person sold a Creative Commons License for Boticelli's The Birth of Venus ripped off?
A Creative Commons license allows for the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted piece of work. Works that are deemed in the public domain do not require a copyright or permission to use. Any work created before 1923 is in the public domain. Sandro Boticelli's The Birth of Venus painting was from 1486.
What is the purpose of a Creative Commons license? Do works in the public domain need #1? Works created before what year are presently in the public domain? Was Boticelli's The Birth of Venus created before #3? Considering #2 and #4, is #1 unnecessary for Boticelli's The Birth of Venus?