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The problem being that people are bastards.

• "The Open Content Network will work with the Creative Commons to use their machine-readable licenses to automatically identify open source and public domain content to be distributed through the OCN"

Why is this a problem? Well, what's to stop an ignorant or malicious individual wrapping up some content with an CC complaint license and injecting it into OCR?

I'm thinking of:

• Advertising porn with embedded html links that pops up adverts (gnutella is rotten with this stuff).
• Virii.
• Other people's copyrighted content.

Why would anyone do this last one? Pure malice, to open OCN up to DMCA attack, simply because people (as I said) are bastards, and can't be trusted to behave in a rational civilised fashion. OCN will be a trusted network, and that leaves it open to abuse. I really hope that an actual trustable human will vet everything injected into it.

Exactly. Much of my decision to go to law school (I'm starting next year) was based on what I learned here on Slashdot about the infringement on our rights by the wealthy and powerful. And I picked my school because it runs The Berkman Center, which is partially responsible for both creative commons and chilling effects. I'll be able to start working on what I care about as soon as September rolls around. Few other professions afford you that opportunity.

Read their FAQ: they aren't advocating or only advertising works which get released into the public domain. They're more interested in allowing authors to create their own license that allows and restricts whatever the author feels is good, in case neither of the two extremes of standard copyright or public domain are suitable for an author.