The Importance of the Commons, Beautifully Animated
By Shira | Jan 29, 09 09:16 PM
Knowledge is power - literally. I first got hip to the importance of the public domain and the sharing of intellectual property when I was co-directing Arts Engine's Media That Matters Film Festival. We were one of the first festivals to affix Creative Commons licenses to our films, making it easier for people to use the films for activist and educational purposes. These days, it's commonplace to see a CC license on a blog or a photo (Flickr integrates CC licensing into its uploading process), but we still have a long way to go as a culture.
As Ari and I often fantasize, wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to worry about getting paid and we could make art and just put it out there for anyone to use/build upon in any way? We do, in fact, do this a lot, and as a result, our photos and illustrations have found their way into all kinds of unexpected places. But we still have to commodify much of our creative work to pay the bills. If only the government would subsidize more activist art and less toxic corn.
In any case, this beautiful film illustrates why The Commons is such a vital part of human civilization...
(via Worldchanging)
More:
Previous item: Historical
Next item: Our Friends at The Dacha Project Are Awesome. »
