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Lessig Proposes "Creative Commons"

Posted by timothy on from the please-resurrect-writenow dept.

cmuncey writes: "Lawrence Lessig's newest effort is profiled this morning in a SFGate.com article this morning. Creative Commons will offer customizable flexible intellectual property licenses that can be used by artists, writers, and others in moving their works from copyright to public domain in a controlled manner. The aricle also cites plans to create a 'conservancy' for what looks like orphanware. This is a joint work of Lessig and people from MIT, Duke, Harvard and Villanova."

3 of 125 comments (clear)

  1. Devil's advocate ?s from corporate masters: by base3 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    That's nice that you want us to move our intellectual property into the public domain in an "orderly" manner once it's stopped making money for us.

    What do you have to offer us to:

    - pay us for what you want--it must have value since you want it in the public domain, and it's our duty to extract that value for our shareholders.

    - protect us from liability should anyone manage to damage themselves or their own companies with the product you want us to give away.

    Unfortunately, there aren't easy answers to those objections. The answer isn't some kind of volunatry feel-good way to have corporations give to the public domain, because it's not going to happen. The answer is to make copyright for a "limited time," as the framers intended. Not for 95 years when 5 years is an eternity in <cliche>Internet time<cliche>.

    --
    One CPU cycle wasted on digital restrictions management is ONE TOO MANY.
    1. Re:Devil's advocate ?s from corporate masters: by Alien54 · · Score: 5, Interesting
      The answer is to make copyright for a "limited time," as the framers intended. Not for 95 years when 5 years is an eternity in "Internet time"."

      How about software enters the public domain once a compnay stops providing tech support for it plus, say 3 years.

      This would certainly put the stop on the tread mill of constant upgrades. [smile]

      --
      "It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
  2. The Other Question Is ... by laetus · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The other question is, if their license-du-jour you create online doesn't stand up in court, do you have any legal redress against Creative Commons?

    I bet they'll be paying particular attention to creating fine print that says, "use our licenses at your own risk."

    --

    "We're sorry, but the website you're trying to reach has been disconnected."