Creative Commons Licence launched In Australia

I attended the launch today at QUT during the Open Content Licensing Conference of  Australia's version of the Creative Commons licence.

The Creative Commons system lets copyright owners (whether text, film, paintings, photos or other media) determine in advance whether their copyright works are available for use by others and on what terms. They can generate their own licence (using a pro forma without the need for lawyers) so that potential users do not need to ask for permission each time.

It does not change copyright law. It may not suit successful businesses or artists who earn significant revenue from their inventions. But if a creator or author is happy for others to "remix" or "sample" their work, then a Creative Commons licence will help.

How do you know what has been licensed under Creative Commons? The item will have a logo on it or if you're looking for something you can use freely, look here.

I've written up my thoughts on today's program at  Technology and IP Business

UPDATE: For a fair summary of the debate on the limits of copyright law , read this book review (Via Kim Weatherall).