Photo management app uses Creative Commons to share pics

Filed under: General — Heather Ford @ 2:49 am

Flickr, the great, free photo management application now applies Creative Commons licenses to share photos. Says Flickr founder, Stewart Butterfield in a recent cc interview:

‘We allow members to select a default Creative Commons license for all photos they upload and the ability to control licensing on a photo-by-photo basis. This gives people the most flexibility. And I think it does solve a real problem for some people: they want to be able to post their photos on the web and still express their preference as to how their work gets used.

This was an important step for us; as individuals and as a company we believe in and want to support free culture. Creative Commons licensing is great because it just sort of “snaps in” — the hard thinking has already been done, and even some of the technical work. In the longer term we’ll be adding a lot of features which will help viewers find Creative Commons-licensed photos: by license type, by subject, by photographer, and so on. With a powerful search interface we hope that this will become a valuable resource. The best case is really that the creativity that goes into people’s contributions to Flickr goes on to spark yet more creative work by more people around the world. And then they tell two friends .’

Now we just have to get blogger.com to sign on and we can all share efficiently :)

Miriam Makeba donates memorabilia to SA national archive

Filed under: General — Heather Ford @ 2:37 am

World-renowned singer Miriam Makeba recently donated some of her memorabilia to the South African National Film, Video and Sound Archives (NFVSA). The collection includes photographs, awards, memorabilia, sculptures, clothes, posters, records and videos.

According to the national archive website, ‘The foremost purpose of preserving archives is to ensure that they are made available for use. In terms of South Africa’s archival legislation, any member of the public has a right of access to archives that are older than twenty years, free of charge.’

The NFVSA has a great outreach program, but the records are still only physically accessible by those who live in the area. Wouldn’t it be great if we could access these records on the Internet? Just think about the number of schools that have access to the Internet in South Africa, as opposed to the number that participate in the current campaign.

I called NFVSA and they said that they don’t have any plans to make the archives available on the Internet. ‘We’re merely custodians of the materials,’ said Trevor Moses. ‘98% of the footage is owned by companies such as the SABC and MNet.’

Perhaps the SABC should take a leaf out of the BBC’s book and think about opening up resources that are paid for by public money. More to follow.

Copyright for activists

Filed under: General — Heather Ford @ 4:10 am

Take a look at www.hellkom.co.za and click on ‘Merchandise’ or ‘Make your own T-Shirt’. The owners of the site have decided not to sell their merchandise using regular e-commerce methods, but have instead provided users with hellkom designs that they are free to copy, share and distribute in order to make their own.

According to the site:

‘My attorney has informed me that if I were to forge ahead in my quest to print Hellkom merchandise I would most likely be taken to court. But these ideas are here so people can have their own stuff printed… if you do print something send us a pic!!’

Hellkom has obviously decided that the main aim of the site is to stimulate public debate, and that risking law suits such as those slapped on Laugh It Off, are just not worth the foreseeable costs. They have, in the process, democratised their campaign by giving users a complete guide on how to make your own merchandise, with advice on where the cheapest place is to buy the T-Shirts, to how to iron on the transfers.

The legal notices on the site state that, ‘Except as expressly prohibited on this Web site, you are permitted to view, copy, print, and distribute documents contained within this Web site in any which way you like on condition its for noncommercial purposes.

You may also transmit copies of such portions of materials by email, for your personal, non-commercial use only, provided that you agree not to change or delete any copyright or proprietary notices from the materials.

Although, if you do print something, send a pic!!’

They’re using Creative Commons and they don’t even know it ;)

Held to ransom

Filed under: General — Heather Ford @ 7:24 am

I just spoke to a group of South African NGOs about Creative Commons in Africa. It was wonderful to meet with such a receptive group of people working towards goals of universe access, education and knowledge sharing – from Sangonet to Sangoco to SchoolnetAfrica, and from Meraka to Ungana Afrika.

There is really great synergy within this group, and a deep desire to engage in political debates around intellectual property rights in Africa.

But first, we must deal with Telkom. 4.5 billion Rand (USD$75 million) in profits were recently recorded, and there are less telephone lines in rural areas than when the universal service requirements were announced.

Oh, and we’re still waiting for the 50% e-rate for schools, or any kind of subsidy for community access points and non-profit organisations.

Still waiting, while Telkom remains the most expensive Telecoms provider in the world. Go to hellkom.co.za to find out more.

Principles of IP Justice

Filed under: General — Heather Ford @ 7:19 am

I really love these principles, developed by IP Justice in the US:

1. We reserve the right to control our individual experience of intellectual property.

2. Creators deserve to be compensated.

3. We reserve our right to make private copies of lawfully acquired intellectual property.

4. Technology and information that enable the exercise of rights should be lawful.

5. “Copy Rights” come with “Copy Responsibilities.”

And this:

In hopes of safeguarding our liberty, we collectively object to these dangerous worldwide trends:

  • Extending copyright terms in perpetuity, thereby shrinking the quality and quantity of the public domain;
  • Relegating fair use rights to technologies of the past;
  • Outlawing legitimate consumer circumvention and reverse engineering of one’s own property;
  • Banning the publication of technical information;
  • Enforcing legal liability against tool makers and service providers for an other’s infringement;
  • Imposing legal and technical regimes that favor international media giants at the expense of local culture and competition;

For explanations and to sign on to the code, go here.