Karl Jonsson’s Weblog

openDemocracy Goes Creative Commons

Creative Commons: Making copyright work for democracy by Siva Vaidhyanathan - openDemocracy

openDemocracy.net has taken a major step toward enriching global democratic discussion by adopting Creative Commons licences for its articles.

Practically, the use of these licences grant participating openDemocracy authors (including myself) more control over how their works will echo through the world of digital text. They will encourage free republication and dissemination of their articles in non-commercial media across the globe.

Ideologically, the fact that this respected publication has opted in to the Creative Commons message makes a profound statement about the importance of openness and the dangers of a culture of excessive ownership.

The articles on openDemocracy deserve to be circulated and used in more than one context. They can be rich resources and raw materials for further scholarship, criticism, and journalism. Their authors often inspire new ways of doing politics. By joining openDemocracy in the Creative Commons, they inspire new ways of sharing and developing knowledge too. Democracy, like culture itself, must be a collaborative project.