Saturday, October 24, 2009

Some high-profile musicians who use CC licenses (or "Digital Civics and Intellectual Respect")

Creative Commons Creative Director, Eric Steuer, was quoted at this eMusician.com article:
Can you name some of the other high-profile musicians who use CC licenses?
We've worked with all kinds of artists. Beastie Boys, Deerhoof, Dangermouse, Pearl Jam, Girl Talk and T-Pain are just a few that use CC licenses.

How do you think Creative Commons and copyright fits into this new music industry?
We're in a transition period. And I think that an approach like a CC license can be a critical part of the new music industry because it puts the artist in control to permit which rights they want to grant and which rights they want to keep. I think you'll have more luck getting people involved with your music if you're clear about what you want them to be able to do and tell them how you want to be attributed. This clarity will be integral to the relationship between people who consume and listen to music and people who create and publish it.

I like what ccMixter.org creator, Victor Stone, (cited in this interview) said about the Internet being a "copy machine":
The Internet is a copy machine - it's a natural state of the thing. Denying that, is akin to feeling oppressed because, as a blacksmith, your business is being trampled by these new fangled auto-mobiles. Get over the fact that horseshoes are yesterday's technology and start figuring out how to leverage the natural 'copy state' of the new machine.

Digital Civics and Intellectual Respect
Publicity, marketing, monetisation, commercialisation, copying... I'm not sure why or how, but suddenly I'm thinking about students and our education system.

I'm thinking, kids shouldn't grow up merely being taught about protecting/ respecting Intellectual Property rights only. There ought to be another way of looking at all that. Something more fundamental that "protecting one's rights".

I remember when I was in Primary School, we had "Civics and Moral" classes. I'd like to think schools ought to start introducing "Digital Civics" classes.

How they can go about making conscious choices when (not if) they publish, as well as use, content on the Internet.

I've not thought much about this idea so at this point, I can only say this Digital Civics class should first introduce the idea of "Intellectual Respect". Then "Intellectual Property", "Copyright" and "Creative Commons" can follow.

4 comments:

  1. The father of the free software movement, Richard Stallman, has given a great deal of thought to the ethics of computer software and civil liberties in a free society.

    I highly suggest reading his essays on his personal website and the philosophy of the GNU Project, the free software OS he began over 20 years ago. I can think of no better starting place for a course on digital civics than Stallman's numerous essays and talks (recordings of which are online in various places in free formats).

    I'd also suggest that you reconsider using the term "intellectual property" except for the purpose of criticizing that term. Again, Stallman offers a cogent explanation why.

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  2. Hi J.B., thanks for the links.

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  3. welcome back! really good to see you again after your retreat ...

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  4. heh, what retreat? you mean my self-imposed break from blogging? :)

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