Development of Creative Commons licenses

["Luis Villa" <luis AT tieguy.org>]

On 8/13/06, drew Roberts <zotz AT 100jamz.com> wrote:
> On Saturday 12 August 2006 05:44 pm, Evan Prodromou wrote:
> > On Sat, 2006-12-08 at 15:28 +0100, Rob Myers wrote:
> > > If someone only has an MP3 player with
> > > DRM on it they have worse problems than not being able to use CC-
> > > licensed works.
> >
> > They definitely do. But we can't solve any of those person's other
> > problems.
> >
> > The question is really where our control point is. Creative Commons, and
> > this mailing list, don't have direct control over what types of DRM are
> > created, what computers, portable devices, and entertainment centres
> > people buy. Creative Commons does have control over the terms of the
> > licenses.
> >
> > So, if we want to let someone with a DRM-required player listen to Free
> > music, we can waste a lot of time enjoining them to send letters to
> > their congressperson or member of Parliament, or telling them to go
> > spend another $250 on another player, or break the (unjust) law and do
> > some circumvention process.
> >
> > OR, we can just let them listen to the damn music on their player.
>
> First let me say that I am not against solving this issue in a good way, but
> you know what, there is a part of me that says that if someone doesn't care
> if their choice of player negatively impacts me and my rights due to network
> effects, then why should I care if they can play my Free (libre) stuff that I
> am giving them for free (gratis) on their player? Assuming a $250 player and
> a buck a song, let them take the savings from me and 249 others like me and
> buy a better player, one that respects my rights and theirs. If they can't be
> bothered, why should I care about them?

You're ascribing to malice what can be ascribed to incompetence. The
number of people who knew what DRM was and bought a PSP anyway is
probably in the low hundreds. The other several million who bought the
PSP had no idea what DRM is. And now their first encounter with CC and
DRM will be a big 'fuck you' from CC, instead of a positive lesson and
experience with free culture. Congrats on moving the movement forward!

Luis