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<DIV>INVITATION</DIV>
<DIV><BR>Creative Commons South Africa Workshop: 4 March, LINK Centre, Wits
University</DIV>
<DIV><BR>The BBC is creating a digital archive that allows people to make use of
their vast news archive for non-commercial purposes. IBM has pledged 500 patents
for an industry “Software Commons” which will allow developers to grow
innovative products using technical knowledge that has been released into the
public domain. The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) is being
forced to consider alternative mechanisms for encouraging innovation and
creativity in countries around the world. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So what do all these events signify? And who is fuelling these
changes?<BR> <BR>A radical new development in intellectual property law is
the licensing of work for public, non-commercial use. The idea was so successful
in the software industry with the development of “free and open source”
software, that it is now being applied to licencing other types of creative
works. At the head of this movement is Creative Commons, an organisation founded
by Stanford Law Professor, Larry Lessig, who inspired the BBC Creative
Archive to release thousands of television programs to the British public on the
internet for non-commercial sharing and re-use.<BR> <BR>Through a set of
'open content' licences, Creative Commons enables authors to release works
to the public for copying, distribution and re-use under terms
(non-commercial, no derivatives etc) set by the authors themselves. Creative
Commons works (4.5 million of them) are being used in a variety of ways - by
non-profits, in education, and even in new business models - encouraging lawyers
and visionaries around the world to adapt the American licence to suit
their national jurisdictions.<BR> <BR>Creative Commons South Africa (<A
href="http://za.creativecommons.org">http://za.creativecommons.org</A>), hosted
by the LINK Centre at Wits University (<A
href="http://link.wits.ac.za">http://link.wits.ac.za</A>), is creating a series
of specifically South African licences, and now seeks input from the legal
and intellectual property communities in order to develop a watertight South
African version.<BR> <BR>Many other countries such as the USA, Brazil, UK
and Australia (http://creativecommons.org/worldwide/) have released Creative
Commons licences, so by helping out, you'll be joining a global movement of
individuals pioneering intellectual property developments in the information
age. <BR> <BR>Please help us to make South Africa the first African nation
to produce a jurisdiction-specific Creative Commons licence.<BR> <BR>You
can add your voice to the discussion
by:<BR> <BR>1) Attending the workshop on
Friday March 4 at the LINK Centre, Wits University (details are set out
below)<BR>AND<BR>2) Subscribing to Creative
Commons South Africa e-mail newsletter (at <A
href="http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/cc-za">http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/cc-za</A>)
where we will advise you of on-line discussions and of Creative Commons
events.<BR><BR>Please forward this message to colleagues who may take an
interest.<BR> <BR>Best regards,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Andrew Rens and Heather Ford<BR>Creative Commons South
Africa<BR> <BR>March 4 Workshop on draft Creative Commons
licence:<BR> <BR>When? 4 March, 2005: 9.30am - 4.30pm<BR>Where? LINK
Centre, Mwalimu House, University of the Witwatersrand, Public and Development
Management Campus, 2 St David's Place, Parktown <BR>(See <A
href="http://link.wits.ac.za/images/map_new.gif">http://link.wits.ac.za/images/map_new.gif</A>
for a map)<BR> <BR>Who? Intellectual Property lawyers, broadcasters,
the media and policy experts in South Africa.<BR> <BR>See the draft
licence here: <A
href="http://creativecommons.org/worldwide/za/english-changes">http://creativecommons.org/worldwide/za/english-changes</A>
<BR> <BR>Please RSVP to or request further information from Heather Ford,
Project Lead, Creative Commons South Africa; <A
href="mailto:ford.h@pdm.wits.ac.za">ford.h@pdm.wits.ac.za</A> <BR> <BR><BR>News
Reports referred to:<BR> <BR>(1) <A
href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/05_may/26/creative_archive.shtml">http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/05_may/26/creative_archive.shtml</A>
<BR> <BR>(2) <A
href="http://www-1.ibm.com/businesscenter/venturedevelopment/us/en/xslpage/xmlid/26770">http://www-1.ibm.com/businesscenter/venturedevelopment/us/en/xslpage/xmlid/26770</A>
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