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  • From: Gisle Hannemyr <gisle AT ifi.uio.no>
  • To: cc-europe AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [CC-Europe] EDRI
  • Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:23:36 +0200

On 01.04.2012 23:31, Teresa Nobre wrote:
> Well, I think that's imposible for an organisation like CC to be completely
> apolitical and, except maybe for the criminalisation discussion, I thought
> CC had official positions about the 2 other areas I mentioned, ie, that it
> was officially against government interference with the Internet

I hope not.

The subject of Internet governance is a very complex one.
As a proponent of network neutrality, I regard government interference
with the Internet an absolute necessity, as the traditional
monopolies that owns the net certainly cannot be trusted with this.
(I can see a need for a discussion about the limits and scope of
this government interference, but I don't think the Creative Commons
is the right arena for having that discussion.)

And I've not seen any *offical* statement from CC HQ about
government interference (I do not regard the messages about
protesting SOPA/PIPA, etc. on http://creativecommons.org/weblog
as anything more than news items blogged because they were
presumed by whoever posted them to be news of interest to the
CC community - which they obviously are).

> and in favour of broader exceptions to copyright.

I hope not.

All the licenses and tools (including the upcoming 4.0 version) is
carefully written to make the best possible use of *existing*
exceptions to copyright and neighbouring rights.


Here's my position:

I simply do not understand the rationale behind contaminating the
public service mission of CC with political activism - no matter
of noble the cause is.

Political activism will make CC less capable of carrying out its
mission. If CC chooses to *also* become a political activist group,
those that do not agree with its politics will be less willing to
accept the tools and licenses made available by the CC as a public
service.

There exists many fine organizations that lobby for copyright reform,
not-government interference, and the right to copy for non-commercial
purposes, etc. (e.g. EFF, EDRI, FSF, etc.) If you feel so strongly
about these things, why do you not work for these organisations
instead?

The CC is different from those organisations. It mission is to offer
a service to the public in the shape of tools and licences. Becoming
a political organisation will (IMHO) make it more difficult to carry
out that mission.

> If that's not true, then I'm
> sure having a problem in interpreting CC HQ positions.

What is the problem?

Well, we've already had the CC HQ position on this, in a message
posted to this list on March 29 by Diane Cabell (Corporate Counsel,
Creative Commons). She wrote:

"Although CC was established in response to inappropriate law, it
was not established as an advocacy organization."
[...]
"The CC Board's traditional position has been that when a policy
might interfere with the function of CC's licenses and tools --
or prevent them from being used -- then an advocacy effort may
be appropriate. "

I think that is pretty clear language. *Only* when a policy might
interfere with the function of CC's licenses and tools - or prevent
them from being used - then, and only then, does CC take up an
official position and makes an advocacy effort for that position.

I think we've already have agreed that ACTA, SOPA, PIPA, etc.
do *not* interfere with CC's licenses and tools, so I really
do not understand why we're still having this discussion?

> Since I agree with you that we shouldn't have opposing positions when we
> are talking from our CC affiliate's positions and I'm giving taks/lectures
> about those issues almost every week, I would request some clarification
> from CC HQ.

As far as I am concerned, I've already received clarification
from CC HQ (on March 29th). I am satisfied with that clarification.
--
- gisle hannemyr [ gisle{at}hannemyr.no - http://folk.uio.no/gisle/ ]
========================================================================
"Don't follow leaders // Watch the parkin' meters" - Bob Dylan




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