Although in many people’s eyes, sharing content is not a moral issue, but for copyright holders, it’s a serious problem that simply has to be addressed. The use of Creative Commons licensing is one way to solve the problem, and if Joi Ito has his way, it may provide a solution to the digital rights quagmire that doesn’t inhibit innovation.
As Ito sees it, “If you think about the success of the internet, it allows people to innovate without asking permission.” The way it works it this: Creative Commons provides content creators with a way to specify how their content is to be used. A specific Creative Commons license can be selected from the Creative Commons website, which would then generate some HTML code that would then be included on the content creator’s website.
The Creative Commons license explains how the content can be used and shared, and what can be done with it. Some content may only be available commercially, while other content may be freely distributed.
