Choose your license

Musicians, artists, scientists and authors no longer have to dread what will happen with their creative works once they are published online. And surprisingly, relieving themselves of this fear need not involve exorbitant lawyer fees.

Creative Commons provides a variety of licensing options that allow a musician to determine how his work can be used and allow users to enjoy his work legally. There is a huge gap between laws concerning intellectual property, which laws date to the signing of the Constitution, and the technology available today. For example, if a musician publishes an MP3 online, absent an explicit license, it is not clear that it is legal to listen to, download or copy the file.

By proving a variety of licensing options, Creative Commons helps the musician determine how the file can be used. For instance, the license can allow the file to be listened to but not copied or shared. It gives the artist greater freedom and control over his creative output, while affording him continued protection under the copyright regime.

All artists should consider using Creative Commons licenses when publishing a photo, an MP3 or any other work they created online in order to allow their audience to legally enjoy the work.