What’s Up With This Creative Commons Stuff?
Posted on September 8, 2007
If you author a blog or create artistic work, you need to be aware of licensing issues. There are two sides to this coin:
- Make sure your material is protected from plagerism.
- Ensure that you are staying within the bounds of the law when referencing or using other people material.
Far too often I see license infringements on the web. It is very easy to overstep the bounds even if you are fairly familiar with the guidelines. The two most common infractions I see are:
- Using photos, video or text that is not granted by written permission or used under the stated fair-use guidelines.
- Use of material when the traditional "© all rights reserved" is applied to the work.
Copyright Statements
Traditional copyright statements offer the strictest protection for creative. If you publish or create high-quality artwork, it’s worth noting below the piece itself. Copyright laws have long-standing precedence and the lines are fairly cut and dry.
With the arrival of the web publishing explosion of the late 90’s, there arose a new level of awareness and questions regarding copyright infringement and and fair use. What can be reused, how much of it? and how does the author or artist maintain control over their work?
Creative Commons
Here enters Creative Commons to try to offer an answer to this grey area. Creative Commons uses four designations.
- Attribution: Others may use your work if they give you credit.
- Noncommercial: Folks can use it but not to make a nickel. This one to me is a bit grey as many blogs have advertising where they make some money but are generally considered "personal pages".
- No Derivative Works: Others can use it, distribute it, etc. but not manipulate it or use it in the creation of another derivative work.
- Share Alike: The distribution of the work has to keep with the original authors or artists stated license level.
CreativeCommons.com/license offers a handy configurator that asks three questions:
- Allow commercial uses of work?
- Allow modifications of your work?
- Jurisdiction of your license
Make your selection and it generates the code for your license button. Select the code and place in your footer or sidebar and presto you’ve licensed your work according to these guidelines.
If you have specific usage questions that you don’t readily find answered on the Creative Commons site, ask me and I’ll do my best to provide some answers from a professional perspective.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Filed Under Web and Tech Helps |
Related Posts
- My Blog Code of Ethics
- Photo Sites Must Adequately Inform Copyright Usage
- What’s Your File Extension?
- New Look for Thought Sparks
- The Rhythm of Writing
- Work Like Water
- Occam’s Razor
Comments
6 Responses to “What’s Up With This Creative Commons Stuff?”
Leave a Reply
Oh wow Phil, thank you so much for this!
You are so fabulous at explaining things for those who are less than technically skilled! (smile)!
I seriously appreciate this!
I’m off to get a little licence thing on my blog!
Big hugs,
Jen
Jen, So glad it’s of help. I try to stay away from the techno-mumble jumble, see look what I know stuff. Folks who talk over ones head often don’t really understand the subject matter well enough to explain it in a way using a more common lexicon of words. In any case, I have you to thank for your great question. It is the comments and questions readers of this blog make that drive much of the content. I am to please!
Creative Commons are fantastic. Sometimes when I need to make art for the web a CC without the No Derivatives option makes for some great sources. It also means that I can be a bit more liberal with my content and say use this if you want but I want a link in return. This means that if I don’t get a citation and the press take my content (it happens to some bloggers a lot) I actually have enhanced ground to demand one. It’s never happened but it feels good to know.
Matt, Yes getting a handle on this stuff, especially for someone like yourself is so important. It’s a sticky issue for sure. I hope this post will encourage others to look deeper into the issue.
Hi Phil, thanks for this reminder and on code of ethics too.
I’ve been meaning to formalise my code of practice and this has given me a further nudge. Before I do though, a further question for you (or your readers)
I’ve been thinking about producing a compilation of ideas and words on my blog from the month of September and turning it into an e-book… made me wonder what the issue is with the words and ideas people leave on my blog as comments. I’d like to include those too ‘cos that’s what makes it so interesting.
But I’m wondering who has copyright - the person who leaves the comment or me as blog owner? (Likewise, do I sign over my rights when I leave a comment some place else - in the public domain, like a blog - or do I retain them?) Does it depend on me having a statement on my blog to say the rights transfer to me if they comment, and they accept that?
In the particular case of the e-book I would credit people’s words (and probably check with the authors first) - but the whole thing got me wondering…
Any pointers?
Joanna
Joanna,
That’s an excellent question and one that has not been really well defined. I would err towards always crediting the source no matter where it’s been stated. I know some blogs make the explicit statement that anything posted to their site is free for their reuse. If you are publishing an e-book, then I highly recommend citing the source. You are certainly on the right track.