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In this show:
• I discuss Creative Commons licensing with attorney Martin Ertl and crafter/Creative Commons enthusiast Kim Werker.
• We talk about why Creative Commons is relevant not only to crafters, but to anyone who shares original work on the web.
• How do your license your work under Creative Commons? What kinds of work can you protect? And what do you do if someone violates your license? All these questions are answered.
Links:
• Visit LexPublica online to learn more about Martin’s work, and Kim’s blog to learn more about her work.
• Check out the Creative Commons website for more information, and to try the license picker.
• Kim mentioned Rayna Fahey of Radical Cross Stitch, who uses Creative Commons licensing on the work she sells.
• If you want to use another crafter’s Creative Commons-licensed work on your blog, this post explains how. (Thanks, Kim, for that link!)
• You might want to use Feedburner to attach a Creative Commons license to your blog feed.
• …And as a little parting food for thought, you might like this post I wrote about original ideas, influences, copycats, and cross-pollination, over on Make & Meaning.
I just found your blog – so many cute ideas! I'll have to keep checking back for some project inspiration. :)
Thanks so much for stopping by, Sarah!
Great podcasts, thank you all for sharing the information. I've heard about the licensing, but usually whenever anyone mentions legal copyright stuff, my mind just boggles. I've realized that a takes a little effort to understand but overall the whole point of my blog is to share and facilitate community. Without mentioning a license to encourage folks to use the materials, I suppose I'm shooting myself in the foot? I took the initiative and added a creative commons license I am comfortable with on my blog. This way my writing posts, imagery as well as freebies can be used! Yay!
Yaaaay! Congratulations, Linda! I hope more and more bloggers will consider adding some kind of licensing to their blogs – whether Creative Commons or traditional copyright. The more consumers see these things, the more overall understanding there will be of the value of content – and ownership.
Just a quick note about applying traditional copyright to blogs (or anything written or doodled). In the U.S. (I'm not sure about other places), a work is technically under copyright as soon as it's produced, whether it carries a copyright notice or not. So even if you don't mention copyright on your blog, you still own the copyright and readers' uses of your work is still limited by copyright.
That said, I agree with Diane that even if you choose to reserve all rights under traditional copyright, it's a great idea not only to mention it on your blog, but also to link to information about what copyright is and what rights are reserved to you by using it.
Thanks for adding that, Kim. And I definitely agree that in this new landscape of sharing, it's wise not to rely 100% on the implied copyright. There's still too much confusion, especially among new internet users, as to what is and is not there for the taking online.
The funny thing about copyright is that if you don't actually register it, takingl legal action for compensation isn't really going to get you anywhere. It's super complicated and costs so much – no wonder the independent business owner is flummoxed! But I agree we need to get the word out, so everyone gets more comfortable with the subject. With our busy lives and just trying to get things done, I know how the average artist feels…it just seems way over our heads at times!
Ah, and this is where all discussions of copyright seem to go – grey areas and confusion. Your point about copyright registration is well-taken, Linda. Enforcement of copyright-infringement claims is, as Martin said in the show, complex and costly.
I just hope more artists will focus on that simple first step – make your copyright intentions clear when you share your work. And as Kim commented here, help consumers understand exactly what that means by not only expressing your license, but linking to what it means.
Definitely confusion and of course it depends what kind of craft or product you are producing as well.
I like the first step – makes it simple for what we can do right now quite easily!
BTW, would be great if you can revisit this topic or similar topics on the podcast. It might be hard to find a lawyer that doesn't bore us all or lose us in the conversation. That's always the key, getting information out there in a digestible way :)
Great show! I've used creative commons many times to get images but I've never quite understood how to submit things. Also I never knew that the commons was for more than just pictures.
Thank you, Victoria! I'm glad the show added some new dimensions to Creative Commons for you.
Wow! This was so helpful – I'd tried to read about the licensing before but was always kind of confused. Thank you so much for covering this.
Thanks for a great podcast! And cheers to Kim for talking about my patterns. I've had a couple of customers contact me since hearing your podcast going 'really? I didn't know that!'. Thought you might be interested in the latest episode of the Craft Cartel podcast which is about CC and music http://radicalcrossstitch.com/2010/05/04/craft-…
Thanks for your great show, I don't think I've ever commented but I listen to them all!
xox
Rayna
Thank you so much for being part of this show, Rayna! I was so inspired by your use of Creative Commons in your business. And thanks for the Craft Cartel link – I'll definitely check it out.
What about all the bloggers who claim ideas are his/hers, but took this idea from someone else and have the nerve to copyright it!! This past weekend I have noticed bloggers who put a copyright on an image that is not one that they have created; which to me is stealing at it's worst. I think there should be something more to copyrighting works that we create, because down the line someone will copyright it and claim it to be his/hers. To have the nerve to put a copyright on images that are known and well seen and then claim it as his/her own is ridiculous. This kind of makes the CC look sometimes as just something that is put down and that some people do not adhere to.
I loved this pod cast and it just makes us aware how as artists that protection of our work is needed. People love to CC, but the use of it can really be disgusting sometimes!
Thanks, Meg – and can I add, if you witness this kind of infraction, you can always point it out to the original owner of the image, so he or she can take action. I'm sure your heads-up would be hugely appreciated!
[...] Creative Commons offers an easy way for you to share your creative content on the web while still retaining your copyright. Sister Diane of the CraftyPod podcast shares her insight into Creative Commons in episode 115. [...]