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[Glenn Otis Brown <glenn AT creativecommons.org>]

Press Release
March 3, 2004

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Attachment: CC_JP_Live.pdf
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JAPANESE CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSES AVAILABLE NOW

Creative Commons and GLOCOM release official Japanese copyright 
licenses for iCommons Japan, the first country-specific adaptation of 
the open content system.

Palo Alto, USA, and Tokyo, Japan - March 3, 2004 - Creative Commons, a 
nonprofit dedicated to building a body of creative works free for 
copying and re-use, and GLOCOM, its Japanese affiliate, today announced 
the official roll out of their iCommons Japan licenses.

"The launch of the Japanese iCommons licenses is a major milestone for 
both Creative Commons and the global free culture movement, generally," 
said Lawrence Lessig, Creative Commons' chairman and professor of law 
at Stanford University. "We would like to give special recognition to 
GLOCOM, and to Yuko Noguchi and Emi Wakatsuki, the lawyers whose 
dedication helped make this possible." Lessig also acknowledged the 
contributions and comments of Machina, 
<http://homepage3.nifty.com/machina/>, a technology commentator and 
Japan-based blogger.

"We are pleased to be among the first international Commons (iCommons) 
participants," said Motohiro Tsuchiya, project lead iCommons Japan and 
assistant professor and senior research fellow at GLOCOM, International 
University of Japan. "This launch is a joint effort of many 'commoners' 
here in Japan. It has always been part of our age-old culture to share 
creative works such as drawings, poetry, music and more. iCommons Japan 
is a natural extension of this practice."

The licenses, translated into the Japanese language and adapted to 
Japanese law, allow copyright holders easily to inform others that 
their works are free for copying and other uses, under specific 
conditions - to declare "some rights reserved." These self-help tools, 
which are free of charge, offer new ways to distribute creative works 
on generous terms along the rich spectrum between full copyright and 
public domain. Authors and artists in Japan can now express a 
preference for sharing their work on their own terms.

Japanese-speaking visitors to the Creative Commons Web site now 
automatically view a full Japanese translation of the license choice 
process as the site detects the users' web browser settings.

See <http://creativecommons.org/license/?lang=ja> for the license 
selection page in Japanese, and 
<http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/jp/> for an example 
of a Japan-specific license.

Japan is the first country to launch iCommons licenses.


More about Creative Commons

A nonprofit corporation, Creative Commons promotes the creative re-use 
of intellectual works, whether owned or in the public domain. It is 
sustained by the generous support of The Center for the Public Domain, 
the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Hewlett 
Foundation. Creative Commons is based at Stanford Law School, where it 
shares staff, space, and inspiration with the school's Center for 
Internet and Society.

For general information, visit <http://creativecommons.org>.

For more information about iCommons, see <http://creativecommons.org/
projects/international/>.


More about Glocom

GLOCOM was established in 1991 as a social science research institute 
specializing in the study of information society as well as Japanese 
society. From the outset it was thought that the collection and 
dissemination of information through the utilization of computer 
networks was important, and this goal was realized in 1993 when the 
center established an Internet connection. Ever since, by utilizing the 
most up-to-date information and communication technologies, GLOCOM has 
been able to engage in various research activities, including 
generation of policy proposals and involvement in education-related 
projects. GLOCOM has set out to be a modern information "intelprise," 
an institution promoting the distribution and sharing of "wisdom."

For more information about GLOCOM, visit <http://www.glocom.ac.jp/>.


Contact

Christiane Asschenfeldt (Berlin)
International Commons Coordinator, Creative Commons
christiane AT creativecommons.org

Motohiro Tsuchiya, (Tokyo)
Project Lead, iCommons Japan
Assistant Professor, Senior Research Fellow, GLOCOM
taiyo AT glocom.ac.jp

Glenn Otis Brown (Palo Alto)
Executive Director, Creative Commons
glenn AT creativecommons.org

http://creativecommons.org

Press Release