CREATIVE COMMONS TO PORT LICENSES TO MAINLAND CHINA

Mia Garlick, December 23rd, 2005

San Francisco, CA, USA and Berlin, GERMANY — December 20, 2005 — Creative Commons, a nonprofit dedicated to building a body of creative work free to share and build upon, introduces today a revamped draft version of its localized licenses in The People’s Republic of China.

Creative Commons copyright licenses are available free of charge from the group’s website (http://creativecommons.org). The licenses allow authors and artists to mark their works as free to copy or transform under certain conditions—to declare “some rights reserved,” in contrast to the traditional “all rights reserved”—thereby enabling others to access a growing pool of raw materials without legal friction.

Led by Project Lead Chunyan Wang and the Law School of Renmin University of China, and helped by Professors Li Chen and Guo He, Ms. Gao Si from NCAC, and Mr.Zheng Yi and Miss Chen Jie, Creative Commons Mainland China has worked on a new version of the standardized licenses, adapted to Chinese law.

The Creative Commons Mainland China project is supported by IET Foundation, the Center for Internet Law at Peking University Law School, and China Open Resources for Education (CORE).

CC Mainland China will post their new version on the Creative Commons website for public discussion. The license draft will be discussed at a new mailing list and a new URL.

Following a fruitful discussion, CC Mainland China plans to launch a localized version of the licenses during a launch event at the Intellectual Property and Creative Commons conference taking place at Renmin University of China and Peking University in Beijing in March 2006.

Says Chunyan Wang: “I think it would be extremely important to introduce Creative Commons licenses to China. The concept and approach of Creative Commons licenses would provide a sensible middle ground for China, between western approaches of strict copyright and the traditional Chinese approach of having no intellectual property rights. Indeed, the very idea of Creative Commons is based on the traditional Chinese approach of society sharing its intellectual creativity, under a reasonable set of guidelines. Adopting the Creative Commons licensing system in China would be a significant step forward in helping China further the development of culturally diverse creative works, and improve the ability of the people of China to communicate effectively with other societies and cultures around the world.“

About Law School of Renmin University of China

Renmin University of China (RUC) is a national leading university focusing on humanities, social sciences, economics, law and management. RUC was officially established in 1950. As one of the major schools and departments, the Law School is the first higher legal education institution officially established after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Consisting of 12 Teaching and Research Sections (TRS) and 15 research centers, the Law School boasts two National Key Research Centers—Research Center of Criminal Jurisprudence and Research Center of Civil and Commercial Jurisprudence—and China Law Information Center, a National 211 Project program. With one LL.B, nine LL.M and seven LL.D programs, RUC Law School has a comprehensive legal education system.

For general information, visit the website

About Creative Commons

A nonprofit corporation founded in 2001, Creative Commons promotes the creative re-use of intellectual and artistic works—whether owned or in the public domain—by empowering authors and audiences. It is sustained by the generous support of the Center for the Public Domain, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Omidyar Network Fund, and the Hewlett Foundation.

For general information, visit the group’s website.

Contact

Christiane Asschenfeld
Executive Director CC International
Creative Commons
Email

Mia Garlick
General Counsel and COO
Creative Commons
Email

Press Kit

Creative Commons anuncia el lanzamiento del Concurso de Remixes “Criminales del Copyright”

Eric Steuer, December 7th, 2005

Las composiciones ganadoras serán incluídas en un próximo documental; las 12 canciones finalistas serán incluidas en un CD que acompañará a la película.

San Francisco, CA, USA – 7 de diciembre de 2005

Creative Commons, junto a los productores cinematográficos Kembrew McLeod y Ben Franzen, anunciaron el día de hoy el lanzamiento del concurso “Criminales del Copyright” (”Copyright Criminals Remix Contest”). El concurso alienta a productores, DJs y remixers de todo el mundo a utilizar fragmentos de audio (audio snippets) del próximo documental titulado “Criminales del Copyright” (Copyright Criminals) y convertirlos en canciones originales.

Uno de los ganadores incluirá su música en la edición final de “Criminales del Copyright”. Adicionalmente la canción ganadora, acompañada de las siguientes 11 finalistas serán incluidas en un CD que incluirá la banda sonora de la película. La canción ganadora será alojada en ccMixter desde el martes 6 de diciembre hasta el 28 de febrero de 2006.

A lo largo de mas de cincuenta entrevistas con destacados músicos, artistas, estudiantes, abogados, y representantes de la industria “Criminales del Copyright” da una mirada al desarrollo de las remezclas/remixes de audio (también conocidas como “sampling”). El documental explora el complejo impacto que han tenido las normas de derechos de autor/copyright en la práctica creativa del “sampling” y estudia las diferentes opiniones de artistas y diversos especialistas acerca de los usos no autorizados de obras protegidas.

“Este concurso, así como nuestro documental, examina la importancia de ser creativo en la era digital,” sostiene
Kembrew McLeod, co-director de Criminales del Copyright. “Los artistas tradicionalmente se han prestado recíprocamente sus creaciones y se han inspirado en el mundo que los rodea. Pero, que sucede cuando las tecnologías digitales permiten la inserción de citas sumamente literales como parte de nuevas creaciones?”

Fragmentos de diálogos sostenidos con artistas como De La Soul, DJ Qbert, e integrantes de Public Enemy, así como
Matmos, Coldcut, e integrantes de Negativland – todas tomadas de entrevistas preparadas para Criminales del Copyright – se encuentran disponibles en línea en la comunidad de remixers ccMixter para ser utilizados por los concursantes como insumos en su participación en el concurso. La utilización de “audio snippets” se encuentra disponible para su libre uso gracias a las licencias Creative Commons, las mismas que facilitan la compartición y creación de obras nuevas sobre la base de obras ya existentes. El jurado del concurso se encuentra compuesto por McLeod, Franzen, y el autor y productor Jeff Chang. Las bases del concurso se encuentran disponibles en ccMixter.

Acerca del jurado

Kembrew McLeod es catedrático de la Universidad de Iowa and ganador de premios como productor independiente. McLeod ha escrito música para Rolling Stone, the Village Voice, and MOJO; y cuenta con dos publicaciones, la mas
reciente “Freedom of Expression®: Overzealous Copyright Bozos and Other Enemies of Creativity (Doubleday).”

Ben Franzen es un artista basado en Atlanta, dueño de la productora independiente Changing Images LLC, que se
especializa en video, fotografía y multimedia. Franzen edita el programa de televisión animado Squidbillies, que se
transmite como parte de la programación adulta de Cartoon Network.

Jeff Chang es el autor de “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation”, premiada en el concurso American Book. En 1993, co-fundó y actualmente maneja el sello independiente, SoleSides (hoy Quannum Projects), apoyando el lanzamiento de las carreras de DJ Shadow, Blackalicious, Lyrics Born, y Lateef the Truth Speaker. Ha participado en la producción de mas de una docena de discos.

Acerca de Creative Commons

Creative Commons es una organización sin fines de lucro que promueve la reutilización creativa de obras y creaciones intelectuales y artísticas resaltando la importancia de los autores en el proceso creativo y acercándolos a su público. Creative Commons es financiada gracias a las generosas colaboraciones del Center for the Public Domain, el John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, la Omidyar Network, y la Hewlett Foundation. Para mayor información puede visitar creativecommons.org.

Contacto

Eric Steuer
Creative Director, Creative Commons
Email
+1-415-946-3039

Kembrew McLeod
Co-director, Copyright Criminals
Email
+1-319-621-4620

Press Kit/Prensa

Creative Commons Announces Copyright Criminals Remix Contest

Eric Steuer, December 6th, 2005

Winning Track to Be Featured in Film; Top 12 Tracks to Appear on CD

San Francisco, CA, USA ¬– December 6, 2005

Creative Commons, along with filmmakers Kembrew McLeod and Ben Franzen, today announced the Copyright Criminals Remix Contest. The competition encourages producers, DJs, and remixers from around the world to use audio snippets from the upcoming documentary film Copyright Criminals in new, original songs. One winner will have his/her music featured prominently in the final edit of Copyright Criminals. The winning track, along with 11 runners-up, will be included on the film’s companion CD. The contest will be hosted at ccMixter from Tuesday, December 6 through Tuesday, February 28.

Drawing from more than fifty interviews with prominent musicians, artists, scholars, lawyers, and music industry representatives, Copyright Criminals looks at the development of sound collage (also known as sampling). The film explores the complicated impact that copyright law has had on the creative practice of sampling and studies the conflicting opinions artists and others have about appropriation.

“This contest, like our documentary, examines what it means to be creative in an age of digital reproduction,” says Kembrew McLeod, co-director of Copyright Criminals. “Artists have traditionally borrowed from each other and have been directly inspired by the world around them. But what happens when digital technologies allow for very literal quotes to be inserted into new works?”

Samples of dialogue by artists like De La Soul, DJ Qbert, and members of Public Enemy, as well as Matmos, Coldcut, and members of Negativland – all taken from interviews conducted for Copyright Criminals – are available online at the popular remix community ccMixter for use as source material to be included in entrants’ songs. The audio snippets are available to the public for free through the use of Creative Commons licensing, which allows for the sharing of and building upon existing creative works. Entries will be judged by McLeod, Franzen, and author/producer Jeff Chang. Contest rules and details are available at ccMixter.

About the judges

Kembrew McLeod is a professor at the University of Iowa and an award-winning independent documentary filmmaker. McLeod has written music criticism for Rolling Stone, the Village Voice, and MOJO; and has authored two books, most recently Freedom of Expression®: Overzealous Copyright Bozos and Other Enemies of Creativity (Doubleday).

Ben Franzen is an Atlanta-based artist who owns an independent production company called Changing Images LLC, which specializes in video, photography, and multimedia. Franzen edits the animated TV program Squidbillies, which appears as part of the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim line-up.

Jeff Chang is the author of the American Book Award-winning Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. In 1993, he co-founded and ran the influential indie hip-hop label, SoleSides (now called Quannum Projects), helping launch the careers of DJ Shadow, Blackalicious, Lyrics Born, and Lateef the Truth Speaker. He has helped produce over a dozen records.

About Creative Commons

Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that promotes the creative re-use of intellectual and artistic works by empowering authors and audiences. It is sustained by the generous support of the Center for the Public Domain, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Omidyar Network, and the Hewlett Foundation. For more information, visit the group’s Web site.

Contact

Eric Steuer

Creative Director, Creative Commons

Email

Kembrew McLeod

Co-director, Copyright Criminals

Email

Creative Commons Press Kit

CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSES OFFERED IN SCOTLAND

Mia Garlick, December 5th, 2005

Creative Commons’ innovative copyright licenses now offered in Scotland.

San Francisco, CA, USA; Berlin, GERMANY; and Edinburgh, Scotland — December 2, 2005 — Creative Commons, a nonprofit dedicated to building a body of creative work free to share and build upon today announced the launch of its licenses in Scotland.

Creative Commons copyright licenses are available free of charge from the group’s website. The licenses allow authors and artists to mark their works as free to copy or transform under certain conditions—to declare “some rights reserved,” in contrast to the traditional “all rights reserved”—thereby enabling others to access a growing pool of raw materials without legal friction.

Staff at Creative Commons’ offices in San Francisco and Berlin worked with joint project leads in Scotland to adapt the standard licenses to Scottish law. The joint project leads for Creative Commons Scotland are Professor Hector MacQueen, who is Director of the Governing Board of the Arts and Humanities Research Council Centre for Studies in Intellectual Property and Technology Law, and Jonathan Mitchell QC, who is a practicing Queens Counsel at the Scottish bar and a visiting Research Fellow at the Centre.

“With growing interest in the re-use of publicly available material, and growing concern at attempts by commercial publishers to restrict re-use, Creative Commons licensing has never been more needed than now. The creative communities in Scotland now have an opportunity to apply ready-made, plain-language licences to their work to aid its maximum distribution”, says Jonathan Mitchell.

About AHRC

The Arts and Humanities Research Council Centre for Studies in Intellectual Property and Technology Law was established in 2002 in the Faculty of Law of Edinburgh University with the assistance of the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Its Director—Professor Hector MacQueen—and four co-Directors—Ms Lilian Edwards, Mr. Andres Guadamuz, Professor Graeme Laurie and Dr. Charlotte Waelde—have worked together since the establishment of their earlier research centre SCRIPT in 1998. The Centre conducts research into law, technology, commerce and society in the widest possible sense; its anchor projects are ‘Privacy, Property and Personality’; ‘Intellectual Property, Cultural Heritage and the Public Domain’; and ‘E- commerce Legislation within the EU’, bringing together academics and practising lawyers. Among its many publications are a number of reports dealing with copyright management and the law.

For more information on the Creative Commons Scotland project visit this site.

For more information on the Research Centre visit the Centre’s site

About Creative Commons

A nonprofit corporation founded in 2001, Creative Commons promotes the creative re-use of intellectual and artistic works—whether owned or in the public domain—by empowering authors and audiences. It is sustained by the generous support of the Center for the Public Domain, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Omidyar Network Fund, and the Hewlett Foundation.

For general information, visit the group’s website.

Contact

Jonathan Mitchell QC

The Murray Stable of the Faculty of Advocates

Email

Christiane Asschenfeldt

Executive Director iCommons, Creative Commons

Email

Mia Garlick

General Counsel & COO, Creative Commons

Email

Press Kit

CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSES OFFERED IN SWEDEN

Mia Garlick, December 1st, 2005

Silicon Valley-based NGO introduces its innovative copyright licenses in Sweden

San Francisco, CA, USA and Berlin, GERMANY — November 30, 2005 — Creative Commons, a nonprofit dedicated to building a body of creative work free to share and build upon, today unveils a localized version of its innovative licensing system in Sweden.

Creative Commons copyright licenses are available free of charge from the group’s website (http://creativecommons.org). The licenses allow authors and artists to mark their works as free to copy or transform under certain conditions—to declare “some rights reserved,” in contrast to the traditional “all rights reserved”—thereby enabling others to access a growing pool of raw materials with minimal legal friction.

Staff at Creative Commons’ offices in San Francisco and Berlin worked with Project Lead Mathias Klang and Karl Jonsson of the Creative Commons Sweden team to adapt the standardized licenses to Swedish law. Creative Commons Sweden is hosted and supported by the IT University of the University of Göteborg.
Today the Swedish versions of Creative Commons licenses are being launched and will be available at the group’s website.

As a first official use of the Swedish Creative Commons licenses, the Swedish band Auto-Auto will be releasing their new EP “Totem” on December 13, 2005 under a Creative Commons license. “Totem” will contain five tracks and will be available for download at the band’s site. Together with the release, the record company and Internet community Substream are making a remix-kit freely available and will be announcing a competition for the best remix of “Totem.”

About Göteborg University and IT University

IT University is a faculty within Göteborg University. It is a new addition to the centre for IT research, education and development in the west of Sweden. This venture offers excellent scope for cooperation between researchers within different areas of expertise and specializations. The programs offered are based on advanced research and are in a constant state of development.

Göteborg University offers the most comprehensive range of courses and degree programs in Sweden. Göteborg University has about 40 000 students, a staff of well over four thousand, and almost as many part-time teachers spread over approx. 70 departments.

For general information, visit the the Göteborg University website & the IT University site

About Creative Commons

A nonprofit corporation founded in 2001, Creative Commons promotes the creative re-use of intellectual and artistic works—whether owned or in the public domain—by empowering authors and audiences. It is sustained by the generous support of the Center for the Public Domain, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Omidyar Network Fund, and the Hewlett Foundation.

For general information, visit the Creative Commons website

Contact

Christiane Asschenfeldt
Executive Director CC International, Creative Commons
Email
+49.30.280.93.909

Mia Garlick

General Counsel & COO,Creative Commons
Email
+ 1.415.946.3073

Mathias Klang
Project Lead Sweden
+46.705.432.213

Karl Jonsson
License coordinator Sweden
+46.707.454.211

Press Kit

CREATIVE COMMONS TO PORT LICENSES TO MALTA

Mia Garlick, December 1st, 2005

Public discussion of adaptation of Creative Commons licenses to Malta to start in November 2005

San Francisco, CA, USA and Berlin, GERMANY — November 28, 2005 — Creative Commons, a nonprofit dedicated to building a body of creative work free to share and build upon, announced today that Malta is the latest country to join its global licensing project.

Creative Commons copyright licenses, which are available free of charge from the group’s website, allow authors and artists to mark their works as free to copy or transform under certain conditions—to declare “some rights reserved,” in contrast to the traditional “all rights reserved”—thereby enabling others to access a growing pool of raw materials without legal friction.

In an effort spearheaded by Project Leads Daniele Cop and Brian Restall of Project in Motion (PiM) Creative Commons Malta plans to adapt the copyright licenses for use under Maltese law and to build local engagement with and use of Creative Commons-licensed content.

This November, Creative Commons Malta will post their initial drafts on the Creative Commons website for public discussion—participation in which is open to all.

About Project in Motion Ltd (PiM).

Projects in Motion Ltd (PiM) was set up to provide the leadership and expertise required to boost Malta’s participation in a range of European programmes and initiatives. It addresses the need expressed by local SMEs for more specific information and assistance in promoting international cooperation and networking, and in offering services related to ICTs, management, research, training and dissemination activities.

PiM’s network of experts covers areas like ICT, education, health, law, as well as cultural, scientific, environmental, agricultural and socio-economic disciplines. Through its association with other organizations, PiM strives to overcome the existing high fragmentation of resources. It brings together local players to create knowledge-intensive, multi-stakeholder partnerships possessing the critical mass needed to achieve excellence. PiM therefore aims to facilitate the transformation of local SMEs into learning organisations set to reap the benefits of the knowledge economy.

For general information, visit PiM’s website.

About Creative Commons

A nonprofit corporation founded in 2001, Creative Commons promotes the creative re-use of intellectual and artistic works—whether owned or in the public domain—by empowering authors and audiences. It is sustained by the generous support of the Center for the Public Domain, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Omidyar Network Fund, and the Hewlett Foundation.

For general information, visit the Creative Commons site

Contact

Christiane Asschenfeldt
Executive Director CC International
Creative Commons
Email

Mia Garlick

General Counsel & COO
Creative Commons
Email

Press Kit