Parker <[email protected]> writes:

> Say you have a good friend that's in a local band. What can you do to
> help them out with being more free culture-ey?

Ask them what their influences are; ask them about covers they've done
and samples they've heard or used in new tracks.

Then talk about the importance of being able to derive new cultural
works like that, and especially of knowing that one has explicit
permission to do that without contacting anyone.

> * tell them about creative commons. Does anyone know of a particularly
> compelling piece by a musical artist, targeted at other musical
> artists, talking about how cool CC is?

I would be looking to the <URL:http://questioncopyright.org/> folks.
They are persistent and clear about the necessity of stressing free
culture. Note that many of the Creative Commons clauses (notoriously NC
and ND) *do not* result in free cultural works.

The Question Copyright articles are also in terms that artists of
different kinds can more likely appreciate (speaking as someone who
works mostly with programs, not other kinds of creative software).

> * encourage them to consider publishing their music on jamendo. it's a
> great way to get the word out about their music

Jamendo is a great source, but again, it's very important that we stress
the avoidance of the non-free clauses like CC-NC and CC-ND. Jamendo,
unfortunately, contains a great deal of non-free works.

Many musicians are sensitive about being ripped off by record labels;
the history of what happened to the great bluesmen is a fresh memory.

It's important to lead such artists to understand that the CC-NC clause
is too blunt an instrument. The resulting work is non-free for everyone:
they're stopping anyone from doing anything in any possibly commercial
context from redistributing their work, which hurts many culturally
positive uses of their work.

Rather, the CC-SA clause is much more suited to allow the work to remain
free for cultural use and remixing, while thwarting exploitation by
rent-seekers.

> More ideas? Anyone done something like this?

Speak to them, ask them about not just copyright, but about what they
want to do with the works of others, and what they want their peers and
fans to have permission to do with their work. Make it personal, and
listen to their answers.

Help them to conclude that explicit free licenses on their works are a
good thing, and in their own interest; help them understand what license
clauses result in free works and which do not; and most of all, *listen*
to them and consider their position.

-- 
 \                 “What's another word for Thesaurus?” —Steven Wright |
  `\                                                                   |
_o__)                                                                  |
Ben Finney

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