Q: How does Creative Commons help establish the idea of intellectual property?
A: Creative Commons should help people to better understand intellectual property. Ideally, CC will shift the way people view intellectual property to let people understand that intellectual property isn't "just ideas," but also something of value that can be directly improved or injured through their actions. Creative Commons should also make for a better network of resources and communities so that information and entertainment can be shared/accessed/sold more largely for everyone's benefit.
Many students don't understand how plagiarism is important--something that often comes up in English courses. However, when I teach students about computer code and how computer code can mean money or reputation for the maker, students see how plagiarism isn't as simple as copying and pasting.
Once I cover code and copyright, I explain that code can also be shared with CC or CopyLeft so that it's more usable. In the context of writing classes, often with group projects, this makes sense to students because they can see how important attribution is.
Creative Commons and OpenSource communities share materials, but they do so with attribution so that the makers earn reputation. The increase in reputation allows for a sort of gift economy, which is how academia is idealistically supposed to function.
Q: What is your background in relations to Creative Commons licenses?
Q: How do you use Creative Commons licenses?
Q: Why haven't academics embraced Creative Commons licenses?
Q: What are the effects of Creative Commons outside academic arenas?
Q: Can Creative Commons be implemented successfully on a global scale?