You’ve heard the stories: engineers 3D printing face shields in their basements; do-it-yourself hobbyists sewing face masks; and fashion designers crafting personal protection gowns.  Globally, people are trying to help fill the medical supply gap caused by the COVID-19 pandemic through open-source medical hardware. It’s a heartwarming display of global ingenuity, innovation, and collaboration. In this…

The Open COVID Pledge calls on organizations around the world to make their patents and copyrights freely available in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pledge was originally developed by an international group of researchers, scientists, academics and lawyers seeking to accelerate the rapid development and deployment of diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics, medical equipment, and…

Today marks my first year anniversary at CC. It is such an honour and a privilege to lead this organization whose relevance could not be more important at this time. However, as I sit and write this reflection, I know for so many in our global community and network that our thoughts and prayers are…

2020 was a year none of us will forget—and while there are many reasons to look back on last year with sadness and anger, we’ve chosen a different path: one of optimism and hope. In our 2020 State of the Commons report, we take you through what we accomplished last year, from effectively unlocking hundreds…

It’s customary at Creative Commons for the Board of Directors to pause during our annual meeting to acknowledge any departing Board members and staff and thank them for their contributions to the CC mission and community. Among the exceptional Commoners we acknowledged this year, there is one who has touched more projects, individuals, and institutions…

It’s almost over. The year that shall not be named will soon end with a collective sigh and a half-hearted wave from humanity. However, before we stumble into what one can only hope will be a less disastrous year, we’re determined to spread some joy and share our gratitude. We’re grateful for every image, video,…

I’d like to offer a heartfelt thanks to Creative Commons’ longtime General Counsel, Diane Peters, who will be leaving CC at the end of the month to take on new opportunities in 2021. She has served in her staff role at CC since 2008 and as a member of the CC board of directors for…

The coronavirus outbreak not only sparked a health pandemic; it triggered an “infodemic” of misleading and fabricated news. As the virus spread, trolls and conspiracy theorists began pushing misinformation, and their deplorable tactics continue to this day. Nonsense has been shared about links to 5G phone masts or that a secret cure already exists, and…

Last month, cOAlition S released its Rights Retention Strategy to safeguard researchers’ intellectual ownership rights and suppress unreasonable embargo periods—Creative Commons (CC) keenly supports this initiative.  Modernizing an outdated academic publishing system  Under a traditional publishing model, researchers who want to publish their articles in a journal typically need to assign or exclusively license their…

It is an honor to be joining the Creative Commons team on the eve of its 20th anniversary year. For nearly two decades, this organization has worked to make the world a more open and equitable place. When CC first launched in 2001, I was a recently-elected Member of the European Parliament at a time…