One response to this situation is Creative Commons (CC), a set of boilerplate templates in the form of identifiable and readable license statements that make it easy for a creator to release particular rights under clearly specified conditions. This allows a creator to protect his basic rights while notifying potential users of what they can and can't do with the author's intellectual property. Depending on the conditions -- allowing unlimited use for noncommercial purposes, for example - a third party may be able to legally use the work without having to contact the owner for permission each time.

How CC works

To use the online Creative Commons system (www.creativecommons.org), creators simply select which specific restrictions, attributes or modifications they wish to assign to a creative work. The site then produces the appropriate CC license and provides it in three formats. The Commons Deed is a short document that clearly states the licensing rights in plain English and references the legal code.

The Legal Code is a much longer, complete statement that describes the licensing conditions in detail.

Digital license code is HTML that can be included in a Web site. This code also generates an accompanying "Some Rights Reserved" button and a statement clearly indicating that the work is protected under a CC license. The real advantage of the digital code is that it can be used by search engines. For example, Yahoo Inc. offers a Creative Commons search that identifies works and recognizes any licensing conditions.