Creative Commons Licenses
Last week I had a very good talk with my friend Joichi Ito, who Chairs Creative Commons, at the FON Party. Creative Commons is addressing a great need that many of us have. Before Creative Commons, copyright belonged to a corporation or copy was not protected and then there was no control to what happened to it and no attribution. Creative Commons filled a niche in between.
Here´s an example of CC use that concerns me. Wicho, a top Spanish blogger and photographer, took this picture of me at a conference. Computer World of Denmark was writing an article about FON and they took the picture from Flickr, because it was under CC license. In this way we all benefit. The magazine did not have to send a photographer to Spain, I am in the cover of Computer World, and Whicho got to do a cover and got the credit (thanks Alvy from Microsiervos for the link).
Posted on General | 9:06 pm
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Posted by daniel - February 15, 2007 11:45 pm - #
Did Computer World obtain permission from Wicho to use the photo? I see that the Creative Commons license he uses is non-commercial - wouldn’t CW be considered commercial use?
I ask because Thomas Hawk, a US photographer, had his work featured in Forbes magazine without his permission (he, too, uses CC 2.0). He brought it to Forbes’ attention and got it resolved, but still…
It seems like much of the mainstream media still doesn’t understand Creative Commons. What do you think?
Posted by Wicho - February 16, 2007 10:34 am - #
Hi Daniel.
CW Denmark did indeed do TheRighThing™ and contacted me before using the photo.
As you say, my CC license is non-commercial, so tThey offered to purchase the rights for publishing the image, but as it would had been too much of a hassle (international money order and so on) I just gave them permission to use it for free provided I got credited.
They are even going to send me an issue by snail mail so I can keep it to someday show it to my grandsons
But as you say, much of the mainstream media doesn’t get it at all, as I’ve had photos published in spanish national newspapers in the past withouth them ever contacting me about it, never mind offering to pay anything.