posted on Nov, 22 2005 @ 09:40 AM
This new integration of the
Creative Commons license information is a nod to the fact that we have such vital
and interesting material that the desire of some people to use it elsewhere is undeniable and inevitable. Since we have so much content and so many
guests, there is no possible way we can police where and how our material is used to prevent copy-and-paste of entire posts.
Combine this with an expanded way in which our content will be used (TV show), and the need for a more clear way for members to know their
contributions are legally covered in a widely accepted way. Especially for the possibility of new members who have some cache or established
credibility in our topic areas. If they consider joining ATS because of what they see on the show, they'll need reassurance that their contributions
are properly covered.
The Creative Commons ideal tackles these issues in a way that protects the rights of both the author and publisher, while being nicely compatible with
the core Internet culture of collaboration and the ethics of share and share alike. We're now saying that our material can be shared, in a strictly
not-for-profit way, if the following is complied with:
1) The member's name is credited as author
2) The member and ATS are credited as owner
3) The thread title is indicated
4) A link is included to the first page of the thread
(I wanted a link to the first page because I believe the totality of the thread places the single post in context, and is far more
important.)
The Creative Commons license is a legally tested approach with precedence, growing support, and the involvement of some stellar intellectual property
legal minds. In addition, their advocacy efforts for a continued free and open Internet are not only vital to a site like ATS, but represents one of
the few non-profit causes we could embrace without possible political bias.
In one smooth stroke, we suddenly are openly denying ignorance in a way that makes us impeccably good "Internet citizens".