A letter from Paul Brest | The future is open

<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>A letter from Paul Brest | The future is open</title> <meta charset="utf-8" />  <meta property="og:title" content="A letter from Paul Brest" /> <meta property="og:url" content="http://teamopen.cc/thefuture/letter/" /> <meta property="og:image" content="http://teamopen.cc/images/ar-fbog-1.png"/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="The future is open" /> <meta property="og:description" content="Licenses alone will not achieve Creative Commons’ dream of greater access to knowledge and culture worldwide. Laws must change too." />  <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@creativecommons"> <meta name="twitter:title" content="A letter from Paul Brest"> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Licenses alone will not achieve Creative Commons’ dream of greater access to knowledge and culture worldwide. Laws must change too."> <meta name="twitter:image:src" content="http://teamopen.cc/images/ar-tc-1.png"> <meta name="twitter:domain" content="teamopen.cc"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/style.css" /> <link href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Roboto+Slab' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'> <script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-2010376-27', 'teamopen.cc'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>  </head> <body> <a href="/thefuture/"><h1 class="annualreport" style="background-color: #BB4F4F; ">The future is open</h1></a> <div id="navbar" style="width: 750px;"> <div class="navface" style="background-image: url(/images/nav-cc.png); background-color: #BB4F4F; background-position: -75px 0px; ">A letter from Paul Brest</div> <a href="/thefuture/version4/"><div class="navface" style="background-image: url(/images/nav-40.png); background-color: #D7D1AF;">A new license for a new era</div></a> <a href="/thefuture/global/"><div class="navface" style="background-image: url(/images/nav-global.png); background-color: #7AA8DF;">Global license, global movement</div></a> <a href="/thefuture/reform/"><div class="navface" style="background-image: url(/images/nav-creform.png); background-color: #E52727;">Open by default</div></a> <a href="/thefuture/better/"><div class="navface" style="background-image: url(/images/nav-link.png); background-color: #bd9a18;">Building a better internet</div></a> <a href="/thefuture/you/"><div class="navface" style="background-image: url(/images/nav-you.png); background-color: #5c0095;">What you did with CC</div></a> <a href="/thefuture/change/"><div class="navface" style="background-image: url(/images/nav-question.png); background-color: #000000;">Change worth fighting for</div></a> <a href="/thefuture/participate/"><div class="navface" style="background-image: url(/images/nav-help.png); background-color: #2b2a65;">What you can do</div></a> <a href="/thefuture/finance/"><div class="navface" style="background-image: url(/images/nav-money.png); background-color: #C0436C;">Where the money goes</div></a> <a href="/thefuture/about/"><div class="navface" style="background-image: url(/images/by-clear.png); background-color: #5fc48c;">About Creative Commons</div></a> </div> <div style="clear: both; "></div> <div style="max-width: 700px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; color: #BB4F4F; "> <form style="margin: 0 auto; padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: center; " id="Edit" action="https://donate.creativecommons.org/civicrm/profile/create?gid=29&reset=1" method="post" name="Edit"> <div><label for="email-Primary-top">Get Creative Commons updates</label> <input id="email-Primary-top" class="form-control input-lg" maxlength="64" name="email-Primary" size="30" placeholder="mattl@example.com" type="email"> <input class="btn btn-success" id="_qf_Edit_next" accesskey="S" name="_qf_Edit_next" type="submit" value="Subscribe"><input name="postURL" type="hidden" value="https://creativecommons.org/thank-you"><input name="cancelURL" type="hidden" value="https://creativecommons.org/newsletter"><input name="group[121]" type="hidden" value="1"><input name="_qf_default" type="hidden" value="Edit:cancel"></div> </form> </div> <div id="middle" style="background-color: #786D6B; "> <div id="topspace"></div> <div class="arbanner" style="background: url('/images/ar-banner-1.png'); "> <a href="/thefuture/about/"> <div class="arrow" style="background-image: url('/images/leftarrow.png'); " ></div> </a> <div style="width: 800px; float:left; "> </div> <a href="/thefuture/version4/"> <div class="arrow" style="background-image: url('/images/rightarrownocc.png'); " ></div> </a> </div> <br style="clear: both; " /> <div id="profile"> <h2>A letter from Paul Brest</h2> <p>It’s been a challenging but hopeful year for Creative Commons. We’ve made some significant advances, found new leadership, and grown our affiliate network. But the commons is still at risk, and we have much to do.</p> <p>Last November, we released Version 4.0 of the Creative Commons licenses. The new licenses are an enormous achievement, and represent years of work by dozens of dedicated people — including some of the foremost intellectual property experts in the world.</p> <p>Version 4.0 is the most international set of licenses to date, which wouldn’t have been possible without the expertise and effort of Creative Commons’ affiliate network. It’s also the most versatile, covering use cases that no one would have thought of 11 years ago. And that wouldn’t have happened without the diverse community of users pushing the licenses to go further.</p> <p>Without those communities, Creative Commons licenses would be an interesting idea and no more. With them, CC is a growing, evolving movement that’s redefining how knowledge, culture, and information are shared. The affiliates give CC licenses relevance and meaning with their tireless work to build communities around open licensing and open practices.</p> <p>Last year, CC staff, board, affiliates, and community met in Buenos Aires to plan for our long-term future. Together, we agreed that licenses alone will not achieve our dream of greater access to knowledge and culture worldwide. Laws must change too. A few weeks later, we formalized our public stance in support of global copyright reform. We urge lawmakers to consider the unintended consequences of overly restrictive copyright law. And we arrived at that stance only because our community led us to it.</p> <p>In May, after an extensive search, CC selected Ryan Merkley as our new CEO. Ryan joins us after a long history in technology, nonprofits, and government, including work as chief operating officer at the Mozilla Foundation. He brings a strong vision and passion for Creative Commons and its communities, and has already begun to reach out to build the next phase of our organization. I’m excited for what’s to come, and to work with him as chair.</p> <p>CC and its licenses are part of the infrastructure that powers the web we know and love. But building the licenses is just the first step; the next step is to use those licenses as a tool for change. All of us can work together to demonstrate the value of sharing to individuals, governments, policy-makers, institutions, and corporations, and to build a future in which everyone is more free to participate in society. While the task is significant, I know we can achieve it together.</p> <p>Paul Brest <br />Board chair <br />Creative Commons</p> </div> <div class="arfeatures"> </div> <div style="clear: both; "></div> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://creativecommons.org/"><img src="/images/cclogo-white-300.png" width="300" height="71" alt="Creative Commons" /></a></p> <div style="display: inline-block; height: 50px; "></div> <a href="#"><div class="uparrow"></div></a> <div style="display: inline-block; height: 50px; "></div> <div id="license" class="ar-licensebox"> <p style="text-align: center"> <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="//i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />Except where otherwise noted, <em><span xmlns:dct="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" property="dct:title">The future is open</span></em> by <a href="https://creativecommons.org/"><span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Creative Commons</span></a> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License</a>.</p> <p>Image credits</p> <ul> <li><a href="//thenounproject.com/term/globe/711/">Globe</a> / <a href="//thenounproject.com/edward">Edward Boatman</a> / <a href="//creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/">CC BY 3.0</a></li> <li><a href="//thenounproject.com/term/file-repair/10069/">File Repair</a> (copyright symbol added) / <a href="http://thenounproject.com/iconoci/">iconoci</a> / <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/">CC BY 3.0</a></li> <li><a href="//thenounproject.com/term/link/1690/">Link</a> / <a href="http://thenounproject.com/owl4life1867/">Matthew Exton</a> / <a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/">Public Domain</a></li> <li><a href="//thenounproject.com/term/raised-hand/12043/">Raised Hand</a> / <a href="http://thenounproject.com/niftyacres/">Stephen JB Thomas</a> / <a href="//creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/">CC BY 3.0</a></li> <li><a href="//thenounproject.com/term/money/3723/">Money</a> / <a href="//thenounproject.com/berky93/">Alex Berkowitz</a> / <a href="//creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/">CC BY 3.0</a></li> </ul> <p>The banner illustrations were created by <a href="http://www.lukesurl.com/">Luke Surl</a>. To the extent possible under the law, Luke has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights under the <a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/">CC0 Public Domain Dedication</a>.</p> <p>The “The future is open” logo is set in <a href="//creativecommons.org/about/downloads">Akzidenz Grotesk Bold</a>. This website is set in <a href="http://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Roboto+Slab">Roboto Slab</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://github.com/creativecommons/team-open/">GitHub repository</a> / <a href="https://layervault.com/creative-commons/annual-report-2014">LayerVault project</a></p> </div> <div class="spacer"></div> <div id="circles" style="background-color: #786D6B; position: fixed; "> <a href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?source=webclient&text=Licenses%20alone%20will%20not%20achieve%20our%20vision.%20Laws%20must%20change%20too.+teamopen.cc/thefuture/letter/&via=creativecommons" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; "><div class="circle" style="background-image: url(/images/twitter.png);"><div class="circletext">share on twitter</div></div></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http://teamopen.cc//thefuture/letter/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; "><div class="circle" style="background-image: url(/images/facebook.png); "><div class="circletext">share on facebook</div></div></a> <a href="https://donate.creativecommons.org/?utm_campaign=thefuture&utm_source=aletterfrompaulbrest&utm_medium=web" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none; "><div class="heart"><div class="hearttext">donate</div></div></a> <form style="text-align: center; margin: 0; margin-top: -1em; padding: 0; padding-left: 400px; " action="https://donate.creativecommons.org/civicrm/profile/create?gid=29&reset=1" method="post" name="Edit"> <p><label for="email-Primary">Get Creative Commons updates</label></p><p><small><input id="email-Primary" class="form-control input-lg" maxlength="64" name="email-Primary" size="30" placeholder="mattl@example.com" > <input class="btn btn-success" id="_qf_Edit_next" accesskey="S" name="_qf_Edit_next" type="submit" value="Subscribe"><input name="postURL" type="hidden" value="https://creativecommons.org/thank-you"><input name="cancelURL" type="hidden" value="https://creativecommons.org/newsletter"><input name="group[121]" type="hidden" value="1"><input name="_qf_default" type="hidden" value="Edit:cancel"></small></p> <p> <a href="https://donate.creativecommons.org/?utm_campaign=thefuture&utm_source=aletterfrompaulbrest&utm_medium=web" target="_blank">Donate to Creative Commons</a></p> </form> </div> </div> </body> </html>

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A letter from Paul Brest | The future is open