Development of Creative Commons licenses

[Rob Myers <rob AT robmyers.org>]

On 26 Jun 2006, at 02:47, Jeremiah Sinkie wrote:

> I’m currently in the process of making a Mixtape/Album that I want  
> to release under a CC License (probably the BY-NC License), but I  
> want to make it a condition that they have to actually purchase the  
> CD itself, and cannot download it for free, or post the original  
> versions up for download, CC License or not.
>
> But I do want to make it that once they’ve purchased the CD, they  
> have permission to Mix/Remix/Cut-Up/Sample/Mash-Up the tracks, and  
> then they can release those “creatively transformed” versions of  
> the tracks up for download under that BY-NC License.
> How would be the best way for me to do this?

The CC-Sampling license, which allows creative transformation, would  
be a good match. But this allows commercial use of the transformed  
work. NC-Sampling-Plus does not allow commercial use but it does  
allow filesharing.

http://creativecommons.org/license/sampling?lang=en-us

If people want to fileshare your work then they will, a license won't  
stop them. But you may be able to build a buzz by harnessing that.  
Some of that may translate into sales. Allegedly. :-)

> I thought about just releasing the CD as a normal CD (like you’d  
> buy at Tower or Wal-Mart) and then putting in the item description  
> and inside the CD booklet that they could do that, but I didn’t  
> know if that would be the best way to do it or not.

There are CDs that are CC licensed, it's a good way of giving people  
something to buy.

> I want it to be a condition that the CD is actually purchased, so  
> as to pay for the making of the CD, paying for the use of some  
> samples, etc.

Be careful with samples, they will have licenses that may not allow  
you to sublicense the work under a CC license.

Good luck.

- Rob.