Development of Creative Commons licenses

[Rob Myers <robmyers AT mac.com>]

On 24 Mar 2005, at 18:29, Greg London wrote:

> Moral Rights in a multi-user Gift Economy project sounds
> like even more of a nightmare.

Yes, this is my concern as well. Moral rights, like copyright, are 
automatic. Unlike trademarks and patents they are zero-cost and 
zero-maintenance, but they can still be used to torpedo projects (in 
theory).

For market economy projects they are an important device. I can 
complain if someone crops or colour manages my art badly under my right 
of integrity, or insist that I be credited under my right of paternity.

But for copyleft, "freedom" is a more important principle than my ego.

I've seen moral rights brought up in a real debate on the licenses in 
the context of preventing racist groups mis-using images of immigrants 
arriving in the country. But emotive arguments aside, moral rights 
belong to a different conception of the author's relation to their work 
and to public life than American-style incentive copyright (and to 
copyleft).

- Rob.