Richard Patton asked about Creative Commons in relation to the Attribution License I used for Bryght's screencasts. What it is and why and how should you use it? Check out the definitive info over at the Creative Commons web site and this explanatory Creative Commons cartoon for a nice illustration of the licenses, but here's my take on it.

Imagine a world where everything you create and others create was locked down so you couldn't remix it and riff on it without paying licensing fees.

That's not a world I want to live in.

Fortunately we can do something about it.

We can put the stuff we create out there with a license that allows others to re-use and remix it. We can create the commons ourselves by putting it in the public domain or by putting a Creative Commons license on the stuff (e.g. text, audio, video, blogposts, photos, etc. Software licenses are different for reasons which I won't cover here; Drupal is licensed using the GPL).

What's in it for me you might say? Well nothing directly but lots of indirect fame and unanticipated uses and business from people being able to use your stuff.

It's worked great for fellow Bryght guy Kris Krug (he's passionate about Vancouver fashion photography) who has reaped many many benefits from Creative Commons licensing his photos.

On a smaller scale, it's worked well for myself, Boris and Richard too. Lots of people are using our flickr Creative Commons licensed photos (mine, Richard's, Boris') for their websites, travel guides, etc.

And we're receiving similar benefits from our Bryght documentation which is also Creative Commons licensed.

I would encourage all of our Bryght customers and readers of our blog to check out Creative Commons and to put things into the commons!

(Photograph by Franz Patzig - used under a Creative Commons liscence)