Creative Commons Essay.

Word Count: 1060 words (not including quotes, tables, references and appendices)
Due: Friday 23 Oct 5pm

Creative Commons vs. Copyright.
In a battle for supremacy, is it really all or nothing?

Creative Commons is believe to be the demise of illegal downloading and piracy or is it just undermining current copyright laws? Creative Commons (CC) is an international non-profit organisation that works to legally share, reuse, repurpose and remix creative material[1]. The CC licences unlike normal copyright allows creators to dictate what they do and do not allow consumers to do with their products. CC is a good idea in theory, but to fully understand its potential it needs to be examined in practise.

As a general rule Australia copyright laws state that the creator of the product is entitled to all rights and profits associated with that work[2]. Published works that are protected under copyright stay so until 70 years after the death of the creator[3]. Standard copyright does allow for other creators to use the works however this is only if it is licensed to them by the original creator[4]. CC was formed in 2001 by Stanford University law professor Lawrence Lessig with the goal of creating a more versatile copyright scheme[5]. Meng (2009) explains CC was created to combat the

"all or nothing’ approach to the granting of rights (where monopoly rights could be the default position), CC has engaged in what seems to be a compromise, a more community-oriented sharing approach which sets forth terms on which copyright holders may grant partial rights to the public while retaining other rights[6].” (pg 194)

The licence lets creators stipulate how much ownership they wish to share with the public (Appendix A.) The licences are issues, expressed, in three ways, common deeds, legal code and metadata[7](Appendix B.) The following video from the CC website explains the CC in an easy to understand way[8]

The CC website, explains all aspects of CC licensing. It’s noted that there are six variations of the CC licences however they all include standard rights and obligations [1](Appendix C). These ensure both the creator and consumers rights are met. CC licences also include four basic licence elements (Appendix D) that allow the creator to select different ways the consumer can use their work[9].Table 1 illustrates the six types of licences, types of use and usage options concerned with each.
Table 1. The six types of CC licences.

CC licensing can be used on any creative works including music, movies, books, photographs, journals and articles. All over the world specifically designed downloading sites were created for consumers to acquire CC licensed works. An example of this is Canadian sci-fi author, Cory Doctorow who released his novel in 2003 Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, simultaneously in a hard copy in book shops and online under a CC licence where it could be downloaded for free[10].The novel sold 10,000 copies in bookstores but over half a million copies were downloaded[11].
One popular criticism with CC is the difficulty many have in understanding and defining the terminology. An example of this is found when defining the non-commercial (NC) use. Initially CC did not create a definition for NC, instead allowing individual communities to generate their own understandings and rules associated with NC. This idea has created trouble for the CC community with different sub-groups conforming to different expectations of NC use. For example 'free and open source software communities' which involve the sharing and modification of software[12], believe NC means absolutely no money can change hands anywhere in connection with licensed work[13]. A recent survey found that most participants could not adamantly define NC use[14]. Figure 1 shows the findings of the study.

Figure 1. Participants definitions of Non-commercial use from the Creative Commons Cooperation 2009 Defining "Non-commercial "study.

There are lots of different terms created and used primarily for and in CC licenses. Without clear and concise definitions it is challenging for users and creators of CC licensed work to understand their arrangements and difficult for the legal system to settle CC related disputes.

The sustainability associated with CC licensing is another topic raised by critics and supporters alike. Currently there is an ever expanding market for free and illegal creative works. CC licensing in theory can be used to combat this problem however the reality of getting all of the world’s creators to publish their works for free is very slim. Some doubt CC licenses will ever take the place of current copyright as major production companies won’t license their work under the scheme as they make too much money off the current system[11]. For many the publicity associated with CC licensing isn't enough to warrant the possible profit loss. There is a belief that if works are available for free online there hard copies will not sell, resulting in no profit for the creator. Corey Donohue address this idea stating,

"is there anyone here who really believes that no-one would have picked up Harry Potter and the sequel of great profitability if they'd gotten a free electronic copy; that was driving people to the store at midnight in costume was the fact that they couldn't lay hands on a digital copy? [15]”

Would people still buy Harry Potter if it was released for free on the internet? Of course. The free copies would be downloaded but there would still be more actual Harry Potter fans purchasing the hard copies. Furthermore it has been found that Electronic literature doesn’t actually hold a large niche in the online market, with most people having no idea it even exists[16] and when online books are downloaded the losses from free internet downloads are so small they are hardly missed[15]. The obscurity of online works strengthens the notion that CC may not have the staying power needed to seriously take on current copyright laws.

It is important to note the seriousness of CC licenses. CC license are non-revocable, that is work can stop being distributed but pieces that have already released and downloaded cannot be recalled[17]. This allows consumers and other creators, even professional companies, to exploit their works. An example of this arose when entrepreneur Richard Branson's company Virgin used images obtained from a CC website in mobile commercials for free. The photographer received no payment for the images however Virgin was sued by the parents of the children in the images on the basis of invasion of privacy [18].

The biggest criticism with CC is the way in which it is run. Because it is a new idea the legalities of it have not been defined, creativing many loopholes and grey areas as seen in the Virgin mobile example. Creators are the only one who define what is uploaded resulting in an abundance of somewhat mediocre works being available[11],[15]. In order for CC to become a profitable idea it needs to be run with more direction and form, including strictly defined and outlined licenses and rules. If CC could generate a formula in which both consumer and creator benefit financially and professionally it could be the solution to internet copyright.

____________________

APPENDIX A

Creative Commons Licensing form

Source: Creative Commons. License your work. 2009 http://creativecommons.org/choose/

APPENDIX B

Three different Creative Commons Licensing Formats.

Adapted from: Schloman, B. Information Resources Column: "Creative commons: An opportunity to extend the public domain”. 2003.


APPENDIX C

Standard Rights and Obligations for creative commons consumers

Source: Adapted from http://creativecommons.org.au/materials/whatiscc.pdf

APPENDIX D

The four basic elements in creative commons licensing

Source: Adapted From http://creativecommons.org.au/materials/licencesexplainedcontentcreatorsinfopack.pdf

______________________________________________

REFERENCE LIST

1. Commons. What is Creative Commons? 2009 [cited 2009 Oct 14] Available from: http://creativecommons.org.au/materials/whatiscc.pdf

2. Bein W. Copyright, an incentive or a burden? Revista Informatica Economica 2007 [cited 2009 Oct 15]; 3 (43) 83-86

3. Australian Government. Copyright and Classification Policy, What are the rights of a copyright owner? 2008 [cited 2009 Oct 15] Available from: http://www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Copyright_Whataretherightsofacopyrightowner

4. Watt, R. Licensing and royalty contracts for copyright. Review of Economic Research on Copyright Issues. 2006 [cited 2009 Oct 15]; 3 (1) 1 - 77

5. Lessig, L. Dunwody Distinguished Lecture in Law: The Creative Commons. Florida Law Review. 2003 [cited 2009 Oct 18]; 55, 763-777

6. Meng B, Articulating a Chinese Commons: An Explorative Study of Creative Commons in China. International Journal of Communication. 2009 [cited 2009 Oct 20]; 3, 192-207

7. Schloman, B. Information Resources Column: "Creative commons: An opportunity to extend the public domain". Online Journal of Issues in Nursing [serial online]. 2003 [cited 2009 Oct 18] Available from: www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/Columns/InformationResources/CreativeCommonsAnOpportunitytoExtendthePublicDomain.aspx

8. About creative commons. [video on the internet] [cited 2009 Oct 14] Available from: http://creativecommons.org.au/learn

9. International commons. Australia. Creative commons licences explained for content creators 2005 [cited 2009 Oct 14] Available from: http://creativecommons.org.au/materials/licencesexplainedcontentcreatorsinfopack.pdf

10. Cory Doctorow, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom [weblog on the Internet] c2003 [cited 2009 Oct 17] Available from: http://craphound.com/down/?paged=11

11. Eunjung Cha, A. Creative Commons Is Rewriting Rules of Copyright. The Washington Post 2005 March 15

12. Syamlal M, O'Brien TJ, Benyahia S, Gel A, Pannala S. Open-source software in computational Reseacrch: A case study. Modelling and simulation in engineering. 2008 [cited 2009 Oct 18]; 2008, 10 pages.

13. OCER Africa. Criticisms of the non-commercial clause. No Date [cited 2009 Oct 20] Available from: http://www.oerafrica.org/CriticismsoftheNonCommercialClause/tabid/873/Default.aspx

14. Creative Commons Cooperation (2009) Defining "Noncommercial" A Study of How the Online Population Understands "Noncommercial Use"; 2009 [cited 2009 Oct 20] Available from: http://mirrors.creativecommons.org/defining-noncommercial/Defining_Noncommercial_fullreport.pdf

15. "Creative Commons" [radio broadcast] ABC Radio National Law Report; 2007 Nov. 20

16. Rettberg S. Communitizing electronic literature. Digital Humanities Quarterly. 2009 [cited 2009 Oct 18]; 3 (2)

17. Australian Copyright Council. Information Sheet G094V03- Creative Commons licenses. 2009 [cited 2009 Oct 14] Available from: http://www.copyright.org.au/pdf/acc/infosheets_pdf/g094.pdf/view

18. KOŠČÍK M. Creative Commons - Will it do good in the Czech Republic? Masaryk University Journal of Law and Technology. 2008 [cited 2009 Oct 18]; 2 (1) 62-74.

The end.

So this is it.

The very last blog.

Oh the sadness.

This blog had seen many a thing: a birrage of stupid one liners, an abundance of antedotes and metaphores, fried chicken, airconditioned shirts, aliens, K-Rudd (much like an alien actually) beached whales, vampire kingdoms, time travel and the simpsons.

Yes we have come ever so far since the begining of our sad little journey.
& we have learnt ever so much.
Like...

How to upload images to blogs.
How to draw pretty little pcitures on the internet.
What the hell convergence means.
That watch movies is educational.
How to scam free stuff off the big companies
People like making god shaped fruits
That the are ways to search online without using google.
Everyone wants to put human faces on monkeys

OHH
& a few little things to note about the blog;

1. My 5.1 Boom Boom Boom blog isn't meant to be that crowded. it was all neat & pretty & spaced out until sketch cast decided to go viral & mess up the layout & then kill my internet everytime i go to edit it. *grrrr*

2. I say amazing a lot in this blog.

3. This blog is amazing, for a psychology student anyways. =]


i prettied up my blog format because a change is as good as a holiday. & since its not a person, with money, it cannot have a holiday. =[
So we've gone from old mate green to new kid on the block blue.
But i didn't like the default colour so we changed that from blahhhhh blue to ninja black. =D
i tried to make this little piece of heaven nice and fluffy for you guys, but i am not magician. or world leader.
yet....

This little trip down memory lane is getting my all teary.

I think we need to end it before it gets the best of all of us.


& the only way to end something this momentus is through song.












OhOhOh & with females sunbaking just for Jules. =D






hahahaha.

the best thing since sliced bread.

Now i am well aware this is unrelated to anything possibly new communication techyy but it is one of the more amazing things i've ever seen in my life.

A new KFC monster burger that uses two slabs of fried chicken in place of bread buns.

" The "Double Down Chicken Sandwich" contains two slices of bacon, pepper jack cheese, swiss cheese and sauce, wrapped between two fillets of chicken."

Costing US$4.99 (AUS$6.00) this really is a heart attack in a bun, or not in a bun however that may be. This medical marvel is not currently sold in Australia but a spokesman for KFC Australia said they haven't ruled out selling the burger here.

What does the public think?

Alve the Ogler, New Zealand,- Would I eat it? I wouldn't only eat it, I'd make love to it!!! Best thing on the menu! bring it down under to NZ & Oz please!!!

Bangoned, Bay Of Plenty, - This Bun sounds delicious!! "Double Down Down Under" would be a good name for it here!!


Alan, Auckland,- Usually I call any KFC brger "nastiness in a bun"..... but I guess this 'burger' is just plain nastiness.

need more? Check out the online article

this.is.amazing.

x.

9.1 No one talk to her she smells like an old ham sandwich.

This week in the world new communication technology we learnt;

- The importance of not walking out on a lecture
- Asswink50 is not a good file name
- The necessity of good metaphors, similes and antidotes
- & how to teach yourself a new program (i.e. Abode Flash)

Put into easy to understand “STEPS”
*Gasp*

Step 1- Figure out what you need to do and find the best software package for it. - Like when people get home & car insure when they live in a box & skip down the road

Step 2- Explore different software. – Don’t just pick the one with the cutest puppy logo, there’s a reason its cheap – coz its crap.

Step 3- How to use the software? – If you need to get out your encyclopaedia just to read the title you might wanna take it as a sign. Its just not gunna happen baby.

Step 4- You cannot learn it all right away, any good software should take years to be able to fully understand all the functions. – Depressing yes, but picture the light at the end of your never ending tunnel….

Step 5- Don't be scared, play around with it – Not on your mums only copy of her wedding photo but that stupid duck photo you found on photobucket, knock yourself out.

Step 6- Begin with the basics functions that you are farmiliar with, theres probably about 20% of the operations you know from other programs. – Save, Open, Cut, Copy its all much of a muchness.

Step 7- Save your work constantly! Do not save over the same file. Always have multiple versions and save in a name you can remember and one that makes sense to you. - File 1 = BAD coz by your file 100 your screwed. Long file names aint good either; New Communication Technology 2009 Semester 2 Griffith University Assignment 1. Ah no. Shorten the title of your work for your file name NCT 1. (Genius right?)

Step 8- Use the help file... – Yes the one everyone thinks means you’re an idiotic loser. Unless you get one of those programs that needs to have the help section downloaded separately & then they gouge you for more money, then you can forget it.

Step 9- The help section sucks! Most are designed for people who are advanced in the software and are thus not very useful for novices. – Ignore step 8.

Step 10- Don’t get stuck on one thing, keep swiming and search in different places e.g. different sites through Google. Find specific sites and don’t pay for anything, just keep searching - Cant get the monkeys head onto your little brothers body, its cool, Google it, there will be someone as special as you who has done it & felt the need to tell everyoneeee.

Step 11- Join forums and ask questions. - People love braging about what they know & you dont, but if it’s already been asked don’t ask again, they don’t like that. Also if you’re in a forum where no one else’s questions have been answered don’t feel all special & think they will answer yours, they won’t.

Step 12- Don’t fear tutorial books and video tutorials. Use them but do not pay for them. - Fear the crazy people who took the time to sit down and make them.

Step 13- Don’t take a course about it because you can find it all free online anyway. Courses like this huh?

Step 14- When you learn one kind of software, another will soon come out and replace it. – Don’t learn it and you won’t have that problem. Or just don’t upload the next upgrade. (DUH)

Step 15- It’s all about content. If you create something that’s easy then everyone else will be able to do it too. – Push yourselves people, everyone’s seen a monkey-boy.

Oh so educational.

x

9.0 Pretty Pictures....

So my normal art is this...





Yes its blank.
I'm not big the "arty" thing.
Kinda coz im lazy and kinda coz you could throw me in front of a truck and the headless corps left behind would still look better then anything i can do.

But we've gotta try.

This week i was playing around on paint (something i'm used to) and only just learnt how to resize pictures so i wasn't looking at an over sized pimple on my screen.

i figure i better show you what i'm currently capable of.
Now i know you probably loved the blank space before but my paint abilities are growing.

Before: A lovely flowery little piece from our old buddies at photobucket.

After: The pretty little picture after i went paint on its ass, or according to normal people introverted the colours.

Its amazing right?


So to try something i decided i'd check out this "GIMP" thing again.
Now i know most people are all "OMG how can you not do that yet you sped?!"

Well i cant, in fact in an earlier post i mentioned my hatred for this photoshop wannabee file i downloaded for that tute but there is no way im forking out a trillion dollars for the real deal when im gunna fail on that too.

Before: This is Max. He is quite possibly the most amazing dog in the entire world. No exaggeration.




After: I call this Max: The Trilogy.

After: This work of art is Max in black & white. & 4 coloured stones.

How did i make these Mona Lisa types?

Come in close kiddies & i'll tell you the secret.

Max: The Trilogy was my first attempt. I found the little "marching ants" (i think thats what Jules called it) and dotted my way around the stones. Then i changed the colour hue to create the colour i wanted. Deciding this was still to blah i marched by little ants all around maxxy boy & ended up with three of the little dears. In the original picture there is a ball in the background which i no longer wanted so i copied a grass square and pasted it over the ball. then i smudged in the edges to make it look more "realistic". then i got a bit "smudgy crazy"

I then wanted to make the background grey scale but there was no way i was gunna ant march that so i started a new.

Bring in Max in black & white. & 4 coloured stones. I changed the entire photos colouring turning it grey (no idea how i managed that) then we brought back the ants & got them stoned. Changed the hue again & here we are.

By now my bomb of a computer was having trouble breathing so we decided to call it a day.

Hopefully though i managed to show my "artistic abilities" or at least my ability to bluff my way around GIMP!

8.1 Buzzzz....Obamas Online.

So this lecture,
Freaking weird.
Why do I feel the conspiracy theory feel getting stronger?

A little confused I took a look at the lecture notes.
Bad idea.
There is more written in there then we can have in our essay.
Totally totally totally confusing.

So for the good of man kind & my sanity.
Were gunna go Jenny Craig on its ass & slim it down.
300 words in only 30mins
How do we do it?!

Definitions

CyberPolitics: the politics of the internet that exists predominantly on the internet. Cyberpolitics stretches from the powerplays around the actual structure and functions of the internet that are decided by the Internet Society and ICANN through to the political activities that occur on forums, between bloggers and even in games.

eDemocracy: the internet's intervention in and contribution to real world politics that exists predominantly off the internet. eDemocracy covers everything from political campaigning on the internet and the government's use of the internet to raise awareness and debate on issues to the people's use of new technologies to criticise governments and reveal their mistakes.

Democracy: In The End of History and the Last Man Francis Fukuyama stated liberal democracy is 'the end point of mankind's ideological evolution [and] the final form of human government'.

So I got all motivated again & started reading the notes & I just got scared.

There's some chitty-chat about Gaps in the mass media.
Not sure if I was understand it right but I think they were saying media portrays one side (their side) of a story and the public just has to drink it in. Theorist are gunning for new communication technology to create new ways in which the areana of deliberation, or the public sphere and push a better appreciation of the power of the audience.

Were going for all the little soap opera loving bird-documentary filming, skateboard stunt riding media watching people and everyoneeeeeee else to get a say, to have their opinion, no matter how crazy, heard, coz that's what democracy is, talking about something you don't know, just coz you can.
Kinda like me right now =D

This blog is making me feel all Law and Order like. Just like the dodgy lawyers getting off the obviously guilty crims were gunna talk about Free Speech and Censorship.

My favourite line

" Is free speech a basic right? In Australia we don't have the constitutional right to free speech - that's an Americanism."

I'm glad someone else can tell the difference between Australia and America. We have lamingtons, they have apple pie. They have Green Day, Kanye (thank god he's not ours) and the Jonas Brothers. We have Guy Sebastian, the Wiggles and Bert Newton (they can have him though).

Anyway, it annoys me when little teeny bopper who watch way to much CI channel start prattling off about their right to free speech.

NO! go sit in your corner and do the mash potato like a good boy.

Moving on, pretty much we just check out the complications with free speech on the internet and how hard it might be to monitor and police. The amount of crap on there, you gotta feel sorry for the sucker who has to decide what is and isn't allowed. Then there's the whole copyright thing, like people getting charged millions for downloading one song while scientist are developing programs to get around watermarks (codes embedded in the digital-music files that can be used to block copies.) lets get on the same page people.

'This is our world now... the world of the electron and the switch, the beauty of the baud. We make use of a service already existing without paying for what could be dirt-cheap if it wasn't run by profiteering gluttons? We explore... We seek after knowledge?'

Hackers; regard computer systems not as corporate property but as part the common wealth and do not believe it is wrong to break into systems to look around and understand. This I understand, not that it will stop me from ranting.

The main hackers we hear about are the baddies, the ones hacking into bank accounts and stealing secrets from the pentagon. But apparently there are two other types of hackers, recreational and educational. People who love it just for the sake of it.
History lessons, hackers come from the decedents of cheap-skates, those who's pocket money got a bit tight but they needed to do the morning after what-the-hell-did-i-do-last-night-call so they hacked the phones. The 60's rolled around hackers poked up their pretty little heads and started hacking at universities to play games.

Hackers are like hippies. Pro people power, anti everything else, they just like to care and share, share stuff that's no always offered to them.

Cyberpunk is a science fiction genre based in the possibilities inherent in computers, genetics, body modifications and corporate developments in the near future.

"Cyberpunk developed as a reaction against the over-blown and predominantly safe stories 'space opera' such as Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy and George Lucas's Star Wars"

Gotta love the nerds. They are taking over the world. And trying to make it sound cool by adding the word punk to it. UH NO.

This lecture was about politics in new communication technology.
I think it was kina looking at the impact technology has had on politics and vice versa. Both are pretty influential topics and its only natural that they would affect each other. Obama can now address the entire world through youtube, he uses twitter and was caught on voice recording calling Kanye an asshole. Think about it without technology how would all the gossip of the world be created or passed around. Naked photos of "Pauline Hanson" leaked onto the internet, the equipment used to DNA test Bill Clinton & "That Dress".

See how could we have seen that riveting riveting piece of work without technology.
How sad our lives could be...

8.0 K-Rudd & Koalas. Aussie Pride.

Sign an e-petition

The stop the Canadian Harp Seal SLAUGHTER petition.
Look at them, there so cute!
Who'd want to kill them?
The Canadians act all nice with there mounties and 'ay's but noooooo.
Bad Canada Bad.


I found this on petition spot along with others wanting to stop animal slaughter, supporting fallen superstars and bringing back ya mumma jokes.

Respond to a professional blogger at a major news site.

Major news site? How about ifood.tv

sounds pretty major to me.

Their blog is one of the worlds little miracles. Buddha Shaped Pears

it was amazing.

What is Barack Obama up to today?

Today Mr President is tweeting his way into the American hearts with his d&ms this was added onto twitter about 5hrs ago;

" you & your friends can help pass health reform on your lunch break: http://bit.ly/RZN59 #hc09 "

Isn't it refreshing when the big guy can take time out of his day to chat to the peeps?

Wonder where gods blog is?

Find out who your local, state and federal representatives are.

Local: Ron Clarke

Call him, you know you should, he misses you.

State:

Anna Bligh

Featured here with her nearest & dearest Bettie.

Federal:

K- RUDD

Now isn't he a fair shake of the sauce bottle =D RAWR!


& this image because if someone was to off Kruddy "this" would be in charge.

Look up the Queensland or Australian hansard to find the last time your local member spoke in parliament.

Now i'm pretty sure ol' Clarke has never spoken in parliament, i think this partly because were the gold coast & i doubt he really cares & because when i searched the Queensland Legislative Assembly they were less help.

He was mention on a few pieces of paper butttt no one should i have to read that, i wont put you though that.

But heres the link if you need to prove your man hood.

http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/search/

Let your local member know what you think about their last speech.

Also, couldn't find, but his website says he pretty passionate about Koalas!!!!
What do i think?
Good on ya Ronnie, someone should care about preserving our native wildlife. without koalas what would we have?
No other country has dwarf bears.
One of a kind Ron, one of a kind,

What is clean feed?

The Australian Federal Government is pushing forward with a plan to force Internet Service Providers [ISPs] to censor the Internet for all Australians. This plan will waste tens of millions of taxpayer dollars and slow down Internet access.

Despite being almost universally condemned by the public, ISPs, State Governments, Media and censorship experts, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is determined to force this filter into your home."

Our heartfelt definition comes from us today No Clean Feed.

So i had a look at what's gunna be censored -

• The filtering will target legal as well as illegal material.
• The clean feed will censor material that is "harmful and inappropriate" for children.

Now i get that it cost a lot of money and that it'll slow down internet. but to be quiet honest the only people who need instantaneous internet are the perves looking at all this bad stuff. I guess it kinda depends though, like if it makes the internet like snail slow & only stops kiddies from watching normal porn then its probably not worth it. But if doing this can help stop child porn & abuse & those sad videos of puppys getting killed than more power to them. However i doubt that to be the case & even if it is it'll take 2 miniutes before someone can get around it & it'll all be up & running super man fast again.

Imagine in a few years we'll be wondering how we ever managed to type instead of having mini computers implanted in our brains with direct feed to our crusty eye sockets.