_ Creative Commons and organizations like it allow the fair
but free use of works. ...a protest movement is forming, made up
of lawyers, scholars and activists who fear that bolstering
copyright protection in the name of foiling piracy will have
disastrous consequences for society – hindering the ability to
experiment and create and eroding our democratic freedoms._[1] The
free culture movement is a social movement that promotes the
freedom and flexibility to distribute and modify creative works.[2]
It's the opposite of the "permission culture" that pervades
copyright and intellectual property law. If you believe that
information wants to be free, here are some ways you can support
this movement.
!! Steps !!
Practice an abundance mentality. At the core of the free culture
movement is the belief that overly restrictive copyright laws hinder
creativity by deterring the free exchange of ideas.[3] In contrast,
there is an oft-repeated worry that open licensing will hurt the
creative work in some way. This is a presumption, though, that may
not be accurate when put to the test. Consider the experience of Zen
Habits blogger Leo Babauta. He has found that his online work has
been spread by many more people than he could manage alone and is
flattered that people wish to build upon his work and improve it. He
says: _If they can take my favorite posts and make something funny
or inspiring or thought-provoking or even sad... I say more power to
them. The creative community only benefits from derivations and
inspirations.This isn't a new concept, of course, and I'm freely
ripping ideas off here. Which is kinda the point._ [4]
* A scarcity mentality encourages seeing the cup half empty rather
than as half full. This leads to sustained negative reactions such
as fear, hoarding, and lack of trust. It's implicit in wanting to
control information well beyond the time it has benefited its
originator. On the other hand, an abundance mentality sees the cup
as half full, preferring to err on the side of sharing,
collaborating, and empowering each and every one of us to thrive
in a world of plenty.
* Broaden your perception of the word "free". When people hear
"free" they think about getting something without paying for it,
but in "free culture" it refers to the freedom to distribute and
build upon creative works without having to ask for permission
first. It is absolutely compatible for you to get credit and make
money from your works, if you so desire, while still supporting
free culture.
Consider other ways you can benefit from your creative works,
without restricting distribution. There is the argument that with
copyrighted works being shared illegally on the Internet anyway,
creators of any kind must find new ways to benefit from their work
that do not depend on restrictions that are almost impossible to
enforce.
* The viral aspect: If you use a share-alike license, where someone
can only distribute or build upon your work if they share it under
the same copyleft license, there's more potential for your work to
be distributed virally. If you use a license that requires
attribution (which most do), that's an opportunity for your name,
brand, or website to "tag along" with something that people are
sharing freely with their friends. This can generate significant
website traffic and other kinds of leads.
* Sell services associated with your creative works. If you put
something out that people find valuable, you can strive to
establish your reputation as an expert so that you can make money
from speaking engagements, seminars, teleconferences, or as a
consultant. If you're a performer, you can generate income from
live performances. You could even get a job offer from someone
who's enjoyed your work.
* Charge for the product. If you're sharing something freely, that
means people don't have to ask you (or pay you) before using or
redistributing it. But, that doesn't mean you can't simply _ask_
them to pay for it, whether before or after they use your work.
For example, if you have an eBook under a copyleft license, you
can sell it on your site. People who've already bought it can
legally share it with their friends, but you can put a note in the
book asking that if they enjoyed the eBook, they can pay for it on
your site. If it's a helpful product, there will always be some
people who will voluntarily pay for it, just to say thanks.
* Sell the work in alternative formats. You can use a free license
on digital versions of any work, and sell non-digital (for
example, print) versions. Or think really laterally and use such
non-digital variations as t-shirts, mugs, bags, etc.
Use an open license on any work you create (blog posts,
photographs, illustrations, music). There are many licenses you
can choose from, such as the GNU General Public License and a
variety of Creative Commons licenses, or you can even release
your work into the public domain.
* Read How to choose a Creative Commons license for more tips.
* Read How to apply the Creative Commons license to Flickr
photographs for more tips.
Exercise the freedom to share. In addition to sharing your own
works, read and browse works that are freely licensed by others. Use
them, build upon them, republish them, and attribute them
appropriately. By circulating creative free works, you're promoting
the health of free culture, and contributing to the viral nature of
freely licensed works (which, as discussed above, can have many
benefits for the creator, and for the world).
* Contribute knowledge and images to any website that uses free
licensing by default, such as wikiHow and Wikipedia. You can also
post wikiHow articles on your blog or website.
* Instead of using copyrighted or stock images (in blog posts or
brochures, for example) get Creative Commons images from Flickr,
look for images at Wikimedia Commons
(http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Pictures_and_images)
or look for freely licensed images on Google.
* Donate to free culture organizations like Creative Commons. It
takes time and money to develop licenses that define the spectrum
of possibilities between full copyright and the public domain, and
that work globally alongside existing copyright laws. Such
organizations also undertake efforts to educate the public about
flexible licensing alternatives. And if you can't donate money,
you may be able to donate your time and skills to the movement.
!! Tips !!
* Reflect on the positive consequences of freeing up information for
the greater good of human development. Leo Babauta puts the case
that a lack of copyright doesn't result in harm: _The lack of
copyright, and blatant copying by other artists and even
businesses, never hurt Leonardo da Vinci when it comes to images
such as the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, or the Vitruvian Man.
It's never hurt Shakespeare. I doubt that it's ever really
hurt any artist (although I might just be ignorant here). And
while I'm no da Vinci or Shakespeare, I can't help but wonder
whether copyright hurts me or helps me. If someone feels like
sharing my content on their blog, or in any other form for that
matter, that seems like a good thing for me. If someone wanted to
share my ebook with 100 friends, I don't see how that hurts
me._[5]
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Creative Commons license of choice
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Apply the Creative Commons License to Flickr Photographs
* How to Attribute a Creative Commons Licensed Work
* How to Choose a Creative Commons License
* How to Donate to Creative Commons
* How to Find and Download Creative Commons Images from Flickr
!! Sources And Citations !!
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
*
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