Development of Creative Commons licenses

[Evan Prodromou <evan AT prodromou.name>]

On Wed, 2006-27-09 at 18:08 -0400, drew Roberts wrote:
> > In a parallel distribution scenario, that effect is negated. If an
> > unencumbered version is made available, then there is no "imposition" of
> > anything. The other people still have the freedom to share, modify, and
> > experiment.
>
> And when all the players only play DRM files? What then?
Well, in a parallel distribution scenario, at least we'd be able to listen to CC-licensed music on those players. With the current anti-DRM clause, we wouldn't be able to.

Do you really think that the fortunes of DRM-required systems are going to rise and fall depending on the availability of CC-licensed works on those platforms? The evidence is pretty strongly against that. The distribution of DRM-encumbered works is far outstripping the distribution of CC works.

DRM vendors aren't crying because CC works can't be ported to their systems. Apple doesn't give a flying fox if they can't sell CC music in the iTunes store. The only value in keeping CC-licensed works off of DRM-required systems is to make an empty philosophical statement that's being largely ignored by decision-makers, at the expense of people on our side who could be winning converts by going into "DRM land" and sharing music and software with them. It is shooting ourselves in the foot.
> > Parallel distribution is not an acceptance of the DRM view of the world.
> > It's a _subversion_ of it. 
>
> This I don't buy. It is an acceptance in my view. Now, if, pragmatically, it 
> is a worthwhile acceptance for the short term to obtain a better goal in the 
> long term is a different matter.
It overloads an ugly, restrictive system in order to generously share art, music, and entertainment with our neighbours. That is a subversion of the selfish, greedy core values of DRM systems.

~Evan

-- 
Evan Prodromou -- http://evan.prodromou.name/

"By God! I will accept nothing which all cannot have their counterpart
of on the same terms." -- Walt Whitman, "Song of Myself"