Trend: The Copy'left' Movement?

For decades, a ‘copyright’ tradition existed, and it seemed somewhat basic:

• ‘You own a license to copyrighted work you have created, and no one can touch/alter it unless you give permission.’

For the common good?
So, what would you do, if you had a chance to obtain a license that seemed somewhat ‘copyleft’, and it seemed as if only some rights are reserved? Creative Commons is a non-profit organization working to increase the amount of creativity (cultural, educational, and scientific content) in “the commons”. This refers to the body of work that is available to the public for free and legal sharing, use, re-purposing, and remixing. In 2008, there were an estimated 130 million works licensed under Creative Commons.

At play here is an example of the ‘Copyleft’ psychology of the Internet, and how it has drastically changed the way voice talent should evaluate their possible revenue stream. Take an example from my experience. Someone took my demo from my Voice123 profile, and turned into a ring-tone on a website. What should I do next?

1. Track down who did it and have it removed from the website because I did not allow this.
2. Send him a thank you note.

Choice #2 is what I went with. Why? Whomever this was helped get my profile on page 1 of a Google search, which helps me, and not only that, the demo is a promo I did for Voice123....the company I now work in. He did a great deal of work for me, and it will help us be found more online. That exposure can lead to work. My coach is on it, too, so I am fine with it!

Forget me...this is about you! We want to know what the voice over community thinks on this topic!

Have a great weekend!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
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