Silicon-Valley-based NGO reinforces its activities around the globe and introduces its innovative copyright licenses in Israel

San Francisco, CA, USA and Berlin, GERMANY — June 9, 2005 — Creative Commons, a nonprofit organization that provides an alternative to full copyright, today unveils a localized version of its innovative licensing system in Israel.

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.

With Israel introducing a Creative Commons license tailored for the specifics of the legal system in Israel, the number of countries where Creative Commons’ tools and licenses are available rises to a total of 19. The organization already provides copyright licenses specific to Australian, Austrian, Brazilian, Belgian, Canadian, Croatian, Dutch, English & Welsh, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, U.S., Taiwanese and Spanish law, thanks to a global network of artists, lawyers, and technologists.

Staff at Creative Commons´offices in San Francisco and Berlin worked with Dr. Michael Birnhack, co-director of the Haifa Center of Law & Technology (HCTL) and Project Leads Elad Wieder and Ohad Mayblum of the HCTL to adapt the standardized licenses for use in Israel.

Today the licenses will be launched during a ceremony at the HCLT in the Faculty of Law, University of Haifa. As part of the event at the Hecht Auditorium, Professor Lawrence Lessig, Chairman & CEO of Creative Commons will give a live video-conference lecture. In addition, a variety of works by Israeli artists that are using Creative Commons licenses will be exhibited – a body of creative work free to share and build upon. “ We are very honored and excited to be collaborating with the Haifa Center of Law & Technology. Being able to offer our licenses in Israel, a country of great creativity and dynamism means a lot to our organization” said Professor Lawrence Lessig.

About The Haifa Center of Law & Technology

The Haifa Center of Law & Technology (HCLT) is a research center based at the Faculty of Law, University of Haifa, Israel. The HCLT promotes research in fields of Law & Technology, Intellectual Property, Information Law and related areas. The HCLT’s activities date back to 1999, and in 2003 it was approved as a University Center by the Haifa University authorities. HCLT conducts workshops and conferences, awards fellowships and holds writing competitions for students. HCLT cooperates with several leading institutions in Israel and elsewhere, including George Washington University Law School, WIPO, The Center of the Study of the Information Society and other institutions.

For general information, visit HCLT’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 Creative Commons’ website

Contact

Elad Wieder (Haifa)

Coordinator, Haifa Center of Law & Technology
Email

Neeru Paharia (San Francisco)
Executive Director, Creative Commons
Email

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