Copyright and Creative Commons (Week 8)

This week, we looked at copyright and Creative Commons, and how it came about. Copyright is designed to protect the intellectual property of an individual or company. Movies, music, programs, etc. are generally all copyrighted; so that others can't claim the work as their own, or make money from it.It seems fair enough, in theory. In reality though, it is far more restricting, resulting in things like harmless fan-made videos on YouTube being taken down for copyright violation. So why doesn't strict copyrighting make sense for some things?

Originally, works were only copyrighted where there was the 'intention of commercial exploitation.' The US government granted copyright to authors only who had their work deposited into the national library. This developed though, and soon everything was able to be copyrighted, and for a longer period of time.

Technology, while enabling previously impossible levels of creativity, has also managed to restrict it, thanks to copyright. Thoughts and words spoken are not copyright, but if those words are written on a blog, they become yours. The laws regarding copyright are becoming increasingly more policed, and increasingly more ridiculous and impractical.

And then there was Creative Commons. It was an alternative to the rigid set of copyright laws, allowing the creators to pick and choose the things people could do with their work. Attribution was the important thing - that people acknowledged that they were using the work of someone else. Then the creator could pick from a number of options:

• Users may make commercial uses of your work — can they charge money or get paid for the things they do with your works?
• Users may "creative derivative works" — that is, can they modify, adapt, remix or otherwise tinker with your work? And, if so, whether:
• Users are required to share their creations on the same terms — that is, if I make a movie from your book, am I required to share my movie on the same terms as your book? 

These terms allowed people to exercise creativity, while still ensuring the original creator gets credit for what they've done. What makes the Creative Commons so useful is that not only is it a non-for-profit organisation, but it's also international. People all around the world can use it.

Strict copyright laws don't make sense for a number of things - fan videos on YouTube, remixed songs, and practically anything that is created that uses something from a copyrighted work. Even if that something isn't designed for commercial use or for financial gain. Creative Commons however allows the flexibility that the rigid set of copyright laws can't, it encourages creativity and sharing while not completely abandoning the rights of the creator. 



References:
- Muir, Adam 2011 Lecture on the 15th of September at Griffith University
- Doctorow, C 2007, 'Cory Doctorow: Creative Commons,' viewed 15 September, at <http://www.locusmag.com/Features/2007/11/cory-doctorow-creative-commons.html>
- Kim, M 2007, 'The Creative Commons and copyright protection in the digital era: Uses of Creative Commons licenses,' Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), article 10, viewed 15 September, at <http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/kim.html> 
- Image sourced from: http://www.brisbanegrammar.com/blogs/library/?tag=creative-commons