ZEROPOD Ep 5 with Nate Angell from Creative Commons

September 2, 2023

This week we bring you an episode from the ZEROPOD with Nate Angell from Creative Commons.

Check the full episode on Youtube:

SUMMARY - The key idea of the video is that Creative Commons licenses, such as CC0, provide a framework for flexibility and freedom for creators, allowing for global collaboration and creativity while addressing intellectual property concerns and advocating for open licensing and data in various fields.

• 00:00 📚 Nate Angell from Creative Commons discusses the importance of the CC0 license and his unconventional upbringing, leading to his career in open educational resources, while also highlighting the unnecessary use of fax machines for signing documents.

  • Nate Angell from Creative Commons discusses the importance of the CC0 license and his journey to Creative Commons.

  • The speaker discusses their unconventional upbringing on a hippie commune and their extensive education, leading them to have an alternative view on life, and their career in education, particularly in open educational resources.

  • Open educational resources is a movement to create free textbooks that can be modified and localized, allowing everyone to use and improve upon them.

  • Publishers used to make it difficult for students to buy cheaper used books by jumbling the chapters and points, but now they require students to buy expensive digital subscriptions instead.

  • The speaker discusses their role at Creative Commons, which involves leading Communications and Community, and mentions that all roles at Creative Commons have two C's in them.

  • Some organizations still use fax machines for signing documents, but it is unnecessary and can easily be faked.

• 07:21 📚 Creative Commons licenses allow copyright holders to easily share their work without permission, and the organization has been around for 20 years, providing a standard open content license inspired by open source software.

  • Nate Angell's origin story involves living in different places, studying Latin American studies, and now doing good work for creative people and copyright.

  • Creative Commons licenses are a way for copyright holders to share their work without needing permission, as long as the terms of the license are met.

  • Creative Commons licenses allow for easy sharing and use of content without the need for permission, except in cases where copyright is involved, such as quoting someone's work.

  • The podcast episodes are released under cc0, allowing anyone to remix and use the content, and there is potential for someone to create a superhero based on the speaker and Tony Hawk.

  • Creative Commons is a global non-profit organization that has been around for 20 years and has a small team spread across different countries, with chapters in 50 different countries and a global community of volunteers, and they are known for their series of licenses.

  • Creative Commons licenses were created to provide a mechanism for people to share their work on the internet without restrictions, inspired by open source software licensing, and have become the standard open content license.

• 16:03 📚 Copyright incentivizes creators but limits information sharing, leading to the emergence of Creative Commons and CC0.

  • Josh's ability to disappear and reappear is considered a superpower in his origin story.

  • The speaker has a collection of titles and wants to know if it is cool or dumb, and they obtained them through an under the table deal.

  • Howard the Duck is a unique and interesting character in the Marvel Universe, with a complete comic book collection and numerous cameos in Marvel movies.

  • The podcast discusses the possibility of getting a copyright strike on YouTube by referring to Darkwing Duck, but it is likely not a trademark infringement.

  • The speaker discusses the controversy surrounding Darkwing Duck's association with the Confederate flag and the historical context of flags, particularly the snake emblem on the Gadsden flag.

  • Copyright was created to incentivize creators by giving them temporary monopolies over their works, but it also limits the sharing of information and often results in more powerful individuals obtaining the rights to creations, leading to the evolution of Creative Commons and the emergence of CC0.

• 23:42 📚 Copyright is important for creativity, but licenses like Creative Commons exist to allow for progress; cc0 and blockchain have potential connections to public domain and value accrual for digital goods, while Nouns is an experiment in identity and governance.

  • Copyright is necessary for creativity to advance, but if everything was copyrighted, it would slow down progress, which is why licenses like Creative Commons exist to repay creativity with a temporary monopoly on distribution.

  • Copyright automatically protects creative works without the need for filing, and it is important for countries to recognize and enforce copyright rules to prevent unauthorized reproduction.

  • Copyright lasts for the life of the creator plus 70 years after their death, but it is often extended due to lobbying by companies like Disney to protect their intellectual property, such as Mickey Mouse.

  • cc0 is a tool that allows creators to immediately and intentionally put their work into the public domain, which is beneficial for everyone and has potential connections to blockchain and NFTs.

  • Blockchain technology aims to provide tangibility to digital goods by capturing their provenance, allowing for verifiable tracking of when something first appeared on a blockchain, potentially leading to value accrual for those involved early on.

  • Nouns is an experiment in identity, governance, and treasury, and it is interesting to watch it play out and consider the implications for the creators and the proliferation of ideas.

• 32:14 📚 Artists should not be afraid to experiment with different types of licensing, as allowing everyone to participate in a creative project can make it globally relevant and valuable, and the global community working together can solve problems more quickly than isolated groups.

  • Walt Disney's posthumous fame raises the question of whether allowing everyone to participate in a creative project can make it globally relevant and valuable, and artists should not be afraid to experiment with different types of licensing to see what works for them.

  • A studio is creating an animated feature film based on open assets, putting their own spin on it and potentially rewarding the original creators with fame and notoriety through the movie release.

  • People often become curious about the origins of creative works when they gain popularity, leading them to uncover surprising facts about the creators and their influences.

  • Blockchain enables easy verification of truth and has a positive impact on artists, project founders, education, and science research.

  • Research funded by governments often ends up locked in proprietary publisher systems, requiring taxpayers to pay again for access, potentially slowing down scientific progress, but there may still be motivation for people to invest in public domain research and there could be better results and funding from different sources if it was free.

  • The global community working together can solve problems more quickly than isolated groups, as seen in the case of room temperature semiconductors.

• 42:15 📚 Copyright terms should be shortened to benefit smaller artists, and Creative Commons provides a framework for more flexibility and freedom for creators.

  • Should creators have indefinite ownership over their creations, or should there be a requirement for them to release it into the public domain at some point?

  • Creators need incentives to create, but it is also important for the rest of humanity to be able to benefit from and build upon creations, striking a balance between copyright protection and the ability to freely use and expand upon ideas.

  • The speaker believes that copyright terms have become too long and should be shortened, as they often do not benefit smaller artists.

  • Chuck Berry's ownership of his musical compositions and the question of whether art should be monetized are discussed, with the speaker expressing the belief that art should be shared and enjoyed regardless of financial gain.

  • Creative Commons provides a framework to alter traditional copyright, allowing for more flexibility and freedom for creators, including the cc0 license which is an experiment in pushing content into the public domain.

  • The speaker discusses the idea of having a really cool podcast with a host named Zero rights reserved and a special guest who is a feline that the internet loves, but the feline doesn't know it's a cat and thinks it's part of the family.

• 50:18 🌍 Creative Commons is organizing a global summit in Mexico City, focusing on inclusivity and diversity, while also addressing intellectual property concerns in the context of artificial intelligence and advocating for open licensing and data in scientific research to address climate change effectively.

  • The Creative Commons organization is currently focused on organizing a big event in Mexico City called the Creative Commons Global Summit, which they are working hard to ensure will be cool and successful.

  • The speaker discusses the importance of inclusivity and diversity in conferences and the efforts being made to ensure that voices can be heard and people can gather, especially considering the global nature of the community and the limitations faced by some individuals.

  • The speaker mentions having a dad bod and attributes it to having a baby, without any involvement of beer, and is still trying to lose the baby weight.

  • Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that focuses on promoting their licenses and legal tools, such as CC0, which are constantly evolving to adapt to changes in law and technology.

  • With the rise of artificial intelligence and large language models, there are intellectual property concerns regarding both the input and output of AI, and Creative Commons is working on understanding how CC licenses and tools can be applied in this context, as well as advocating for open licensing and data in scientific research to address climate change more effectively.

  • Accelerating research and solving problems can be achieved by opening up and sharing information, as the internet has shown that there are brilliant minds all over the world capable of thinking about complex issues in unique ways.

• 57:19 📚 The internet has provided global education and knowledge sharing, but copyright laws primarily benefit big corporations, making it difficult for artists to protect their work; Creative Commons is considering integrating licenses into smart contracts and relies on fundraising for support; NFTs have attracted a range of people, but it's important to do research before getting involved; Jack Butcher's experiment with open edition NFTs resulted in diverse interpretations; cc0 has facilitated collaboration and creativity in the crypto community.

  • The internet has provided opportunities for global education and knowledge sharing, but copyright laws primarily benefit big corporations and the wealthy, making it difficult for artists and creators to protect their work.

  • Creative Commons is considering how to integrate their licenses into smart contracts, as the use of cc0 took them by surprise and they need to assess if the contract fits the new practices, similar to how the US Constitution may have great ideas but is difficult to change for the present.

  • Creative Commons relies on fundraising to support ongoing research and maintain the infrastructure for licenses and tools, as they do not charge for the use of licenses and depend on philanthropy rather than a treasury mechanism.

  • Every new technology attracts a range of people, including those who exploit it, but the core of the NFT community is made up of thoughtful individuals who use technology to make an impact, and it is important to do your own research and understand what you're getting into, especially when it comes to finances, similar to camping where you need to take precautions and learn before venturing out on your own.

  • The speaker discusses the work of Jack Butcher and his experiment with open edition NFTs, where he invites collaborators to create within the confines of the edition, resulting in a diverse range of interpretations of the artwork.

  • The speaker discusses the use of cc0 in the crypto community and how it has facilitated collaboration and creativity in projects like open pen and nouns.

INSIGHTS - Impact of Creative Commons on Copyright and Innovation

• 📚 Creative Commons plays a crucial role in supporting and protecting the rights of creative individuals and promoting open access to knowledge and information.

• ⏳ Creative Commons was formed about 20 years ago at the dawn of the internet, making it a pioneer in the field of open licensing.

• 💻 The internet and the emergence of Creative Commons have challenged traditional copyright limitations, allowing for low-cost sharing of information and changing the dynamics of distribution.

• 🤔 Copyright restrictions on knowledge and culture can hinder scientific progress and innovation.

• 💎 The concept of provenance in blockchain aims to give digital goods tangibility and verifiability, allowing for the tracking of their origin and value over time.

• 🌍 If ideas were restricted by copyright, it would hinder progress and slow down advancements in various fields, including art and science.

• 🌍 The internet and the modern era are proving that there are brilliant people all over the world who can think about problems in unique and novel ways, challenging the notion that only a select few can solve complex issues.

Open Access and Collaboration in Education and Research

• 💰 Open educational resources is a movement to make free textbooks, allowing experts to collaborate and openly license them using Creative Commons licenses, making them accessible to everyone for free.

• 🚀 cc0 is a fast track to the public domain, allowing creators to immediately push their work into the public domain without reserving any rights.

• 📚 CC0 has the potential to impact education and scientific research, offering opportunities for open access and collaboration in these fields.

• 🌍 Making scientific research publicly accessible could potentially lead to more virtuous investigations and experimentation, with funding coming from different sources and potentially better results.

• 📚 Open licensing and preprints in scientific publishing can accelerate the dissemination of research findings and allow the hive mind to contribute to further advancements.

Thank you for reading!