Remix My Lit M T: Creative Commons & Text
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remix my lit M T: Creative Commons & Text In defining ‘web 2.0,’ Tim O’Reilly espouses the remixing of multiple sources of information, text case studies including the personal, to create rich user experiences (http://radar.oreilly.com/ archives/2005/10/web-20-compact-definition. Aduki Press: Stick This In Your html). Memory Hole 141 Nowhere is user participation in the creation of The Age Blogs 144 meaning more lauded than in the blogosphere. Bloggers are recognised to be among the ANAT Filter 145 first groups truly to embrace the CC scheme, On Line Opinion 148 and remain some of its strongest proponents. As exemplars in this field, Human Resources A New Leaf Media: The Pundit 150 consultant Michael Specht and Malaysian free John Quiggin 152 culture advocate Aizat Faiz build their writings around the desire to foster open source and free Michael Specht 155 content. This advocacy is driven by the desire to cultivate new voices and alternative viewpoints, Mike Seyfang 156 challenging the enduring corporate dominance of Remix My Lit 159 mainstream media, as aided by CC. As blogger Robin Good puts it: Strange Symphonies blog 161 ‘Web 2.0 is turbo-charging our capacity to re-establish this vibrant, participatory, people- Nevertheless, as shown in these case studies, driven, creative culture. But we the use of CC licensing on blogs is not always nevertheless face greater threats uncontroversial. Prominent Australian economist than ever to our cultural liberties, John Quiggin sparked a debate on the value of as corporations in league with CC licences to blogging, when he introduced the legislators dream up new ways licensing on his eponymous blog johnquiggin. to monetize and fasten down the com (http://johnquiggin.com/index.php/ media being created online.’ archives/2005/07/01/creative-commons-license). www.masternewmedia.org/news/2006/12/14/remixbased_ Similarly, Australian education consultant and readwrite_culture_vs_the.htm web 2.0 exponent Mike Seyfang prompted a building an australasian commons debate on Attribution only ‘We have now a “Read- versus Noncommercial licensing (http://mseyfang. Write” internet – a world in edublogs.org/2008/05/07/ which content is bought, but why-i-license-ccby). not simply to be consumed’ The proliferation of CC licences through the blogosphere has led to Lawrence Lessig its adoption by increasing Creatives face a closed Net, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/ numbers of new media d55dfe52-77d2-11da-9670-0000779e2340.html organisations. The Australian Network for Art and Technology the value the CC licensing system adds (ANAT), Australia’s peak industry body to online reporting in the digital age. for artists working across science and Perhaps most notably, in the lead up technology, commenced licensing their to the Australian Federal election in triannual publication Filter under CC BY- November 2008, Melbourne boutique NC-SA 2.5 Australia licence with Issue publisher Aduki Press released Tristan 65: This is not open source. Melbourne Clark’s Stick This in Your Memory Hole, publisher A New Leaf Media, which aims recognised as the first Australian book to provide an opportunity for young and licensed by a publisher under Creative emerging writers to publish work in a Commons. Comprising thirty-seven professional capacity, has embraced essay-style chapters which take the 140 CC for its Melbourne International Film reader on a satirical journey through Festival publication, The Pundit, as a way of increasing its reach and engaging the political, environmental, social with audiences. Through blogs such as and cultural issues of contemporary The Age newspaper’s Chew on This Australia, the book presents a challenge and Tonic, which regularly reproduce to mainstream thinking, in addition to the CC-licensed photographs from Flickr, traditional ‘all rights reserved’ copyright even mainstream media are exploring model. Even so, the full potential for open licensing text is only new being realised. Recognising the importance of establishing ickr.com/photos/ an interactive web 2.0 ! presence for writers online, the Remix My Lit project (www.remixmylit.com) encapsulates the potential for CC writing, seeking to engage with Australian artists to develop interactive and cross-platform narratives for the 21st century. Image: “text” by fantomdesigns, 2.0 BY CC Generic, www. fantomdesigns/2124600894 Remix My Lit creative commons casestudies Aduki Press: Stick This in Your Memory Hole description: Stick This in Your Memory Hole, comprising thirty-seven essay-style chapters, is the first Australian book licensed by a publisher under CC. website: www.aduki.net.au/content/view/16/29 licence used: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 Australia Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/au media: Text location: Melbourne, Australia Overview coincided with Australia’s 2007 Federal election campaign. Clark’s commentary Launched by Melbourne-based boutique characterises the growing dissent publisher Aduki Independent Press on against government and mainstream 1 November 2007, Stick This in Your thinking, tackling a range of issues Memory Hole is the work of first-time including politics, economics, media, 141 author Tristan Clark. Significantly, consumerism, resources, logging and the book sets a benchmark in being transportation. The title is a reference to Aduki’s first publication to be released George Orwell’s 1984, with the ‘memory under a Creative Commons licence, hole’ being a disposal shoot through and moreover is believed to be the which documents deemed to be in first title in Australia conflict with ‘official truths’ were sent. to be distributed by a publisher in this manner (http://creativecommons. org.au/node/132). ‘I don’t believe that licensing the book Stick This in Your under CC has negatively impacted Memory hole presents a biting critique of on sales of the book. On the contrary, Australian politics and society, wielding wit and I think that having the entire text humour to evoke issues online for readers to preview has and encourage serious debate by audiences not actually helped to sell more books .’ necessarily engaged with Australia’s political Emily Clark arena. Appropriately, Publisher, Aduki Independent Press the publication’s release Creative Commons & Publishing building an australasian commons As the book’s blurb states: ‘Intended to elicit both laughter and indignation Stick This in Your Memory Hole is an unprecedented attack on an atrophied political system, corporate lechery and the ideological sycophants that comprise and support it.’ Aduki Independent Press specialises in non-fiction books, essays and magazines with a particular interest in community, environment, migration, politics, social justice, food and travel. As a commercial publishing venture, Aduki receives no outside funding. The cover of Tristan Clark’s Stick This In Wishing to conduct a ‘fair and reputable Your Memory Hole, published by Aduki business,’ Aduki’s philosophy (http:// Independent Press www.aduki.net.au/philosophy.html) is expressed as follows: ß Produce quality written works. Licence Usage 142 ß Seek to represent varied and distinctive authors and Stick This in Your Memory Hole has material. been published both in print and digital ß Fostering of Australian talent form (online) under a Creative Commons and support within publishing Attribution–Noncommercial 2.5 Australia industry. licence. Both versions carry appropriate ß Offer contracts that are fair licensing information. The online and balanced between the version has been downloaded over 1000 signing parties. times since its release in November ß Fair payment for author work 2007. As of April 2008 the print and general services. version had sold over 500 copies. The ß Conduct business in a publishers report that using the CC-BY- sustainable way, avoiding NC licence has been an overwhelmingly unnecessary use of energy, positive experience. paper and materials. ß Only print books and ‘I don’t believe that licensing magazines on 100 per cent the book under CC has recycled paper. negatively impacted on sales ß Use the most energy efficient of the book. On the contrary, I print processes available. think that having the entire text ß Strive to maintain a ‘no online for readers to preview pulping’ policy. has actually helped to sell more ß Promote values of fairness, books’ diversity, individuality and free Emily Clark, Publisher, Aduki Independent Press speech. Remix My Lit creative commons casestudies Aduki reports that it intends to release also hoped the work would Tristan’s second book under the same be shared and reference and Creative Commons licence in 2009. wanted the audience to know that they were able to do that without contacting us.’ Motivations Aduki’s publication met with considerable excitement from the team ‘We really like the idea of giving at Creative Commons Australia, who people easy access and the expressed their support for its open right to use the work without distribution as follows: seeking our permission as the book has an important ‘Breaking out from the pack message that needs to be and taking the plunge into open shared.’ content licensing isn’t an easy Emily Clark, Aduki Independent Press, decision for a small publisher http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/7714 to make, and Aduki deserves to be congratulated. But, as they Aduki’s manager Emily Clark was say in their press release, with exposed to the idea of Creative its strong message in support Commons at the 2007 Melbourne of free speech “Stick this in Writers Festival (www.mwf.com.au/2007/ your memory hole is the perfect content/print.asp), where she heard book to begin with.”’ successful science fiction writer Cory http://creativecommons.org.au/node/132 Doctorow (http://craphound.com) speak 143 about his positive experience with the licences, together with Creative Commons Australia Project Manager Jessica Coates. This discussion was later broadcast on The Law Report on ABC Radio National on 20 November 2007 (www.abc.net.au/rn/lawreport/ stories/2007/2095456.htm).