I’m really curious about this
I’m really curious about this Creative Commons project that Standford Law professor Lawrence Lessig has begun. The venture will offer customizable ways for artists, software developers, anyone with intellectual property in their pocket to decree how said property is to be used. Aimed at creating a middle ground between proprietary fiefdoms (ala Microsoft) and a free-for-all (Napster), creators will now be able to change the licensing of their song/movie/asparagus-shaped mouse icon with a few clicks of a mouse instead of thousands in fees to a lawyer. The Creative Commons site (not up yet) will also create a searchable database of what content is available for what purposes when, again without going to a lawyer or dealing with the Copyright Office.
Behold the power of the Internet (via the SXSW Blog).