Bob Lefsetz has an excellent post about music (content) licensing and copyright where he goes into a bit of history, analyses the role of P2P and major players in the music industry and shares his opinion on Creative Commons.
About Creative Commons:
“I don’t know if Larry’s Creative Commons is a solution to our problems. I believe it’s close to a nonstarter, because it doesn’t have enough heavyweights behind it, because it lacks momentum. Then again, too many of the creators who could jump-start it are locked up by the copyright bullies. But the issues Larry raises… They are important.”
I disagree with Bob. I think Creative Commons is “a” solution. (As opposed to “the” solution.) It is one tool for content creators who find traditional copyright too restrictive. Nex to that it is an instrument and a catalyst in the discussion about copyright and licensing methods reform and in the actual transformation process that is going on right now.
Creative Commons is just young. It may (probably will) look differently 10 years from now.
The original version of Larry Lessig’s TED Talk is here.