Nordic Cultural Commons Conference Stockholm 2008 10 22 Five myths about the future of culture and the commons Mike Linksvayer Creative Commons

Myths? Most “X myths about Y” screeds annoy... Conventional wisdom doesn’t believe the myths already (so the screed, sometimes sold as a heresy, isn’t) Claims embedded in demolishing the “myths” are themselves mythic Hopefully I will exceed these low expectations, but maintain skepticism

Most “X myths about Y” screeds annoy...

Conventional wisdom doesn’t believe the myths already (so the screed, sometimes sold as a heresy, isn’t)

Claims embedded in demolishing the “myths” are themselves mythic

Hopefully I will exceed these low expectations, but maintain skepticism

Original photo by Brooke Novak · Licensed under CC BY · http://flickr.com/photos/brookenovak/337889974/ I AM NOT A

0: Piracy helps the commons

Image by Mllerustad · Licensed under CC BY · http://flickr.com/photos/mllerustad/250807530/

Photo by RocketRaccoon · Licensed under CC BY · http://flickr.com/photos/rocketraccoon/227241974/

However, piracy is a dead end 2/3 (probably much higher) of content industry is unaffected Promotes established content industry and cultural hegemony Does not cultivate any alternative The web far more interesting for culture and copyright

2/3 (probably much higher) of content industry is unaffected

Promotes established content industry and cultural hegemony

Does not cultivate any alternative

The web far more interesting for culture and copyright

1: We need to figure out how to pay creators

Incentives matter Does not mean greater incentive always better Cultural abundance and overload exists Better filters make the good problem to have worse If creators need to sell [out], a job for entrepreneurs, let them be creative

Does not mean greater incentive always better

Cultural abundance and overload exists

Better filters make the good problem to have worse

If creators need to sell [out], a job for entrepreneurs, let them be creative

2: The commanding heights of culture are out of reach of the commons

King Kong is Dead Hollywood suffers from cost disease; US$200m not a relevant barrier See Star Wreck The product does not have to remain the same See Wikipedia How can the commons not just replicate existing cultural products, but make them entirely different and better?

Hollywood suffers from cost disease; US$200m not a relevant barrier

See Star Wreck

The product does not have to remain the same

See Wikipedia

How can the commons not just replicate existing cultural products, but make them entirely different and better?

3: The real action is in politics; building a voluntary commons is a sideshow

“The gate that has held the movements for equalization of human beings strictly in a dilemma between ineffectiveness and violence has now been opened. The reason is that we have shifted to a zero marginal cost world. As steel is replaced by software, more and more of the value in society becomes non-rivalrous: it can be held by many without costing anybody more than if it is held by a few.” Eben Moglen

“The gate that has held the movements for equalization of human beings strictly in a dilemma between ineffectiveness and violence has now been opened. The reason is that we have shifted to a zero marginal cost world. As steel is replaced by software, more and more of the value in society becomes non-rivalrous: it can be held by many without costing anybody more than if it is held by a few.”

Eben Moglen

Building the commons is key Politicians (as people) are unimaginative ... they need to see solutions, or react in fear A dominant commons makes many closed net scenarios much less likely

Politicians (as people) are unimaginative ... they need to see solutions, or react in fear

A dominant commons makes many closed net scenarios much less likely

4: The cultural consumption habits of commons advocates doesn’t matter

Credibility The most credible way to promote free software is to become an expert user of it ... when others are ready to use, you can help The most credible way to promote free culture is to experience it ... when others need content, you can recommend

The most credible way to promote free software is to become an expert user of it ... when others are ready to use, you can help

The most credible way to promote free culture is to experience it ... when others need content, you can recommend

Therefore and henceforth Transition quickly from piracy to building creative communities See the revolutionary nature of building voluntary commons Eat your own dog food

Transition quickly from piracy to building creative communities

See the revolutionary nature of building voluntary commons

Eat your own dog food

“If we don’t want to live in a jungle, we must change our attitudes. We must start sending the message that a good citizen is one who cooperates when appropriate, not one who is successful at taking from others.” Richard Stallman

“If we don’t want to live in a jungle, we must change our attitudes. We must start sending the message that a good citizen is one who cooperates when appropriate, not one who is successful at taking from others.”

Richard Stallman

License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Attribution Author: Mike Linksvayer Link: http://creativecommons.org Questions? [email_address] Original photo by swanksalot · Licensed under CC BY-SA · http://flickr.com/photos/swanksalot/2800398623/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Attribution

Author: Mike Linksvayer

Link: http://creativecommons.org

Questions?

[email_address]