[cc-licenses] Will CC-BY allow DRM?

James Grimmelmann james at grimmelmann.net
Wed Dec 6 18:03:41 EST 2006


drew Roberts wrote:
> On Monday 04 December 2006 10:12 pm, Greg London wrote:
>> Any word from Creative Commons about changing
>> the basic CC-Attribution license so that it allows DRM?
>>
>> Since CC-BY allows proprietary forking,
>> I see no reason to disallow proprietary DRM.
> 
> There is a reason though in that it would allow the restrictions on the 
> original works as well as the derivatives. Certainly no reason not to allow 
> it for derivatives. Unless someone really is out to use CC as a weapon 
> against DRM. I seem to be the only one who might be cool with that thought.
> 
> No reason not to allow it on NC works either as DRM-Dave will not be able to 
> work his monopoly-fu because of the NC clause.

I disagree.  NC isn't always a substitute for an anti-DRM clause.

It may be more a theoretical than a practical possibility, but I can at 
least imagine a DRM Dave who acts wholly non-commercially.  Maybe a 
religious organization that wants to use DRM to prevent people of other 
religions from reading or distorting their texts, or some such.

James



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