Cc-uk mailing list

[Dr Tim Brookes <T.Brookes AT surrey.ac.uk>]

On 25 Apr 2005, at 17:00, cc-uk-request AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:
> One of the thorny 'yes buts...' I am hearing a lot in regard to CC is 
> "what happens if young creators license their early work under CC and 
> then rue the day forever more?"

For musical works, as far as I can see, the major problem here is the 
UK collection agencies. If you have ever licensed any of your works 
under CC then you can never join PRS, since they require exclusive 
rights to all your works - past and future - and you can not grant 
exclusive rights on a work you've already CC-licensed.  If you're not 
in PRS when you're writing hit after hit, you'll find it almost 
impossible to get any performance royalties from your multitudinous 
radio broadcasts, TV broadcasts, film showings, public performances, 
iTunes downloads, etc...  You can make money from selling CDs, and from 
granting permission for use of your tracks in films, adverts, etc, but 
you won't get performance royalties.

It's PRS that need to change - not CC - but until they do I think you'd 
have to be very sure that you never want any performance royalties 
before you CC-license anything.  This is a tremendous shame and I very 
much hope PRS (and MCPS and PPL) can be persuaded to grant membership 
in exchange for exclusive (or even non-exclusive) rights on commercial 
use only. Then a non-com CC licence would not preclude later royalty 
income.

Tim.