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Besting Creative Commons 1967 by a mere 1099 years is the Diamond Sutra, which according to Wikipedia is the earliest example of block printing that includes a date:
The colophon, at the inner end, reads: Reverently [caused to be] made for universal free distribution by Wang Jie on behalf of his two parents on the 13th of the 4th moon of the 9th year of Xiantong (i.e. 11th May, CE 868).
Which CC license can we (wildly) imagine this corresponding to? Depends what Wang Jie intended “free” to mean — no restrictions, or only distribute without charging.
Via Rufus Pollock’s wide ranging Talk at Law 2.0: Openness, Web 2.0 and the Ethic of Sharing.
Posted 19 September 2007