[cc-community] rethink attribution

Rob Myers rob at robmyers.org
Sat May 3 16:51:59 EDT 2008


Jamison Young wrote:
>>  it's common sense not to expect a dj to constantly hit pause
> If a listener can't place the art with the attribution, how can the  
> art be considered to have been attributed?

Radio DJs say "and that was The Captains Of Industry followed by Near 
Meth Experience. Before that was S.V.V. and before the commercial break 
it was The Sisterhood". The art has been attributed *appropriately to 
the medium*.

But club DJs don't attribute. At all. It could therefore be argued that 
the appropriate attribution for that medium is none.

Possibly bands could start putting their names in songs again:

"U-U-U-U-Utah, Utah Saints!"

;-)

> Doesn't it make sense  
> that free-culture DJ's innovate to make sure the artists that give  
> that content freely are attributed?

Certainly DJs could print up set list flyers, have LED scrolling 
displays, or LCD screens or projectors showing attribution information. 
A Web 2.0 site might be a good approach if it is acceptable under the 
licence.

But if DJs have to do this then it may be easier both in terms of 
practicality and in terms of managing risk simply not to bother with 
BY-SA music.

When attribution becomes burdensome it affects the freedom to use the 
work. And when this happens people won't use the work and so artists 
won't get attributed anyway.

> I thought part of the deal with creative commons was, i don't get  
> paid when the content gets a use, I get attributed. Consider that  
> music artists in the US are able to use a creative commons license  
> and be a member of a rights organization. Artists outside the US are  
> able to join ASCAP with little difficulty, to join ASCAP costs 25  
> dollars.

It's part of the deal, certainly. But it's not the main part of the 
deal. Enforcing it to the point where people's ability to use the work 
under the ShareAlike becomes compromised is counter-productive both for 
promotion and more importantly for freedom.

- Rob.


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