Creative Commons is announcing today its Catalyst Campaign, an effort taking place from today until June 30, to raise money for its recently-launched Catalyst Grants program.
The campaign is an attempt to raise seed funding for projects worldwide that are “devoted to increasing access and openness” and could be an opportunity for a variety of startups.
Creative Commons is a non-profit corporation that provides free licenses that give content producers a number of methods, in accordance with international copyright laws, to share their works with others. If your particular endeavor is one that may “positively impact Creative Commons’ mission of fostering creativity […] and work of communities that use or benefit from CC licenses, tools, and technologies” then it may be elligible for a grant ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.
A number of examples are given on Creative Commons’ website, such as a a CMS looking to add Creative Commons license support or a study of entrepreneurs using Creative Commons licenses to create a new class of socially responsible businesses.
The licenses provided by Creative Commons can be an important consideration for startups, as they provide a number of ways to not only protect content, but to protect how and when it can be shared. If your startup involves a crowd-sourced solution, CC licensing may be integral as it can protect you from issues with content creators and appropriately determine how content may or may not be altered, what attribution may be required and other such concerns.
Applications for Catalyst Grants are due by June 30 and will be awarded beginning August 1.
