CopyLeft

The world of intellectual property has been blown apart by the web. But while others struggle to come to terms with the issues, Lawrence Lessig, Harvard Law Professor has been bringing sense to the subject through his Creative Commons project.

It's potent stuff that taps into the open-source marketing approach that this blog believes is the way forward. Chuck D, the Beastie Boys, David Byrne, Gilberto Gil are all fans. That's rariefied company as far as this blog is concerned.

Here's a great quote from an interview with Lessig:

The concept of 'some rights reserves' allows artists to share music in a way that attracts the audience to them and then enables them to sell more music down the road.

There are lots of stories about artists who have released content under Creative Commons licences and made money on their music where they wouldn't have before.

Much more importantly, these licences invite the audiences to come on to the stage and participate with the music.

You can release your music under a licence that permits the audience to remix it. Many artists are beginning to realise that that kind of passion directed towards their music only increases the appeal of their music and the potential they have to make money from it.

Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3716218.stm