August 29, 2006

  • Creative Commons

    Many of you have probably heard one thing or another about Creative Commons. You can’t get far online without running into the license. Then again, if you never look at copyrights (and who doesn’t) maybe you haven’t. The image used as a background for this website is via OpenPhoto.net a Creative Commons image repository.

    I mention it because I really like it. It seems unreasonable copyright is causing more and more problems all the time. Albeit this is mainly from large cooperations (and people being sued by the RIAA), it can be a problem for less intensive content creation.

    Part of what CC is good for, is lending credibility. Even if you are creating something, and you don’t really mind if someone uses it, it’s not legal for them to do so. Full copyright is automatic. Therefore, anybody who listens to copyright laws will ever use what you make. With a CC license, however, you can open material up for reproduction and reuse.

    For example: you post a poem on you blog, and some internet traveler happens upon it, and thinks: I should put this on my blog too. However, this wandering blogger cannot, or not legally anyway, unless you specify that he is allowed to do so.

    Not that I create much original content (most of mine is ripped form other sources), but I think I’m going to put a Creative Commons flag up here somewhere. It’ll be good for the internet.

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