Thanks to a new Facebook application from Creative Commons that launched today, Facebook users can now place a Creative Commons license badge on their Facebook profile pages. The badge explains the type of license users have chosen for their photos, videos, and/or status updates. Installing the app and choosing a license is about as easy as it gets, though it is important to note that this is a blanket license and that it is currently not possible to choose a CC license for specific photos or videos.
As Creative Commons’ Fred Benenson explains, until Facebook itself integrates CC licenses as a choice in its applications, users won’t be able to choose licenses on a per-item basis (which is possible on services like Flickr, for example).
According to Facebook’s own Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, users own all the content and information they post on Facebook, but, Facebook’s users also grant Facebook a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (“IP License”). We are not quite sure how Facebook’s own license (which has created its share of controversy in the past) would play together with some of the more restrictive and open Creative Commons licenses.
Given that Creative Commons and its licenses are probably still relatively unknown outside of the small world of those who regularly follow copyright issues, it would probably be good if the application explained the different license choices in a bit more detail. The application links to the Creative Commons FAQ, but the information there is probably a bit too abstract for most users who just want a good idea of what license to choose – and why they might want to do that in the first place.
Maybe a link to this video from the Creative Commons or this slideshow would explain the purpose behind Creative Commons a bit better for new users.
Creative Commons : Spectrum of Rights
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