Taking Stock of the Creative Commons Experiment Monitoring the Use of Creative Commons Licenses and Evaluating its Implications for the Future of Creative Commons and for Copyright Law

TPRC 2007

35th Research Conference on Communication, Information and Internet Policy (TPRC), Sep 28—30 2007, National Center for Technology & Law George Mason University School of Law, (pp 1-42),

Singapore Management University School of Law Research Paper No. 3/2013

43 Pages Posted: 10 Jul 2012 Last revised: 7 Jan 2014

See all articles by Giorgos Cheliotis

Giorgos Cheliotis

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Warren Chik

Singapore Management University - Yong Pung How School of Law; Singapore Management University - Centre for AI & Data Governance

Ankit Guglani

Singapore Management University

Giri Kumar Tayi

SUNY at Albany - School of Business

Date Written: August 15, 2007

Abstract

We provide an analysis of the use of Creative Commons (CC) licenses, an approach to licensing creative works which has become very popular among authors who wish to promote more liberal sharing and use of their work. We provide data demonstrating the popularity of CC, examine which specific license types within the CC framework are most popular, and then identify contributing factors for the relative popularity of some of the license types. This includes individual author incentives, the consistency and aims of the online communities which adopt CC as a licensing model, the underlying medium (text, photography, audio, video or interactive content), the intended use of the work, as well as the sociopolitical, legal and economic background of the jurisdictions where the works are being produced. We show that the spread of the licenses is global and encompasses both developed and developing nations with varied cultural and historical backgrounds, which we claim is indicative of a general social shift towards more open collaboration and the rise of a new global consciousness of sharing and participation across national borders. By examining the relationship between piracy rates and license adoption we find only weak support for the common assumption that a relatively lax or critical view on the part of the population towards intellectual property law is providing fertile ground for licenses like CC which offer a more liberal legal alternative. Only an analysis of the complex legal, economic and geopolitical background of each jurisdiction seems to yield plausible explanations for the observed differences in licensing across jurisdictions. In conclusion we examine to what extent copyright law and policy should be informed by the needs and choices of this new generation of authors adopting CC licenses, also taking into consideration the changing interests of society in the digital age.

Suggested Citation

Cheliotis, Giorgos and Chik, Warren Bartholomew Kam Wai and Guglani, Ankit and Tayi, Giri Kumar, Taking Stock of the Creative Commons Experiment Monitoring the Use of Creative Commons Licenses and Evaluating its Implications for the Future of Creative Commons and for Copyright Law (August 15, 2007). TPRC 2007, 35th Research Conference on Communication, Information and Internet Policy (TPRC), Sep 28—30 2007, National Center for Technology & Law George Mason University School of Law, (pp 1-42), , Singapore Management University School of Law Research Paper No. 3/2013, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2102940

Giorgos Cheliotis (Contact Author)

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

Warren Bartholomew Kam Wai Chik

Singapore Management University - Yong Pung How School of Law ( email )

55 Armenian Street
Singapore, 179943
Singapore

HOME PAGE: http://www.business.smu.edu.sg/law

Singapore Management University - Centre for AI & Data Governance ( email )

55 Armenian Street
Singapore
Singapore

Ankit Guglani

Singapore Management University ( email )

Li Ka Shing Library
70 Stamford Road
Singapore 178901, 178899
Singapore

Giri Kumar Tayi

SUNY at Albany - School of Business ( email )

1400 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12222
United States
518-442-4947 (Phone)

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