mozCC is an extension for Mozilla-based browsers, including Mozilla Firefox, Flock, Mozilla and Netscape, which provides a convenient way to examine Creative Commons licenses embedded in web pages. It’s at least twice as good as View Source.

While Creative Commons offers a range of license choices and public domain options direct from its license page, if you have created an application or built a website that allow people to contribute works you may prefer to integrate the license engine directly into your site or application. This guide serves to explain all the steps necessary and options available for integrating Creative Commons into your software. If you are integrating Creative Commons licenses with a non-web application, or would like more control over the user interface, the Creative Commons Web Services may be more appropriate.

"Full copyright applies to most stuff on the web. But this search helps you find photos, music, text, and other works whose authors want you to re-use it for some uses -- without having to pay or ask permission."

Brief descriptions of the Creative Commons licenses.

The Future of Ideas was Lawrence Lessig’s precursor to Free Culture.  It is extremely tech-heavy and goes into great detail about the history and infrastructure of the internet, and the principles the internet was built upon.  He describes how these values of freedom and the free interchange of ideas are being corrupted by the extreme of copyright control in our society.  The drastic increase and rapid changes in technology have gotten out of hand, and there is no longer a balance between public and private goals.  Our past traditions can still come into play, and changes in technology do not have to alter our law or culture.  The DMCA is a good example of a flawed law put into place as a response to changing technology.  The juxtaposition of the early internet to what it is now is striking – the extremes of copyright and the lack of works in the public domain have severely stifled creativity.
The three main sections of the book are a discussion of the importance of “the commons” on the internet, how to recapture online creativity and innovation, and how to stop the increasing restrictions on the internet.  The first section details the need for more free resources on the internet, and a realm of works that are owned by everyone, without control to their use or access.  Lessig explains in detail the principles of the GNU/Open Source movement, and how important it is to the innovation commons, moreso because large companies lack the ability to quickly adapt to technology changes.  The second section illustrates how the constraints that stifle creativity on the internet need to be removed, and gives examples of online innovation such as HTML books, mp3s, and online cultural databases.  The need for new models and new ideas is strong.  The third section shows how the law is being manipulated by corporations, and their increasing control over web content.  Copyright and patent laws have been virtually re-written to stifle the creativity of individuals, and increase the control of government-backed media conglomerates. 
The book is as pessimistic as Free Culture, but does offer some ideas as to how to alter this negative process.  Lessig introduces the ideas of Creative Commons and 5-year copyright term renewals, if desired by the copyright owner.  He emphasizes the importance of removing special interests, and finding new ways to spread information for free.  He also encourages individuals to go after large corporations if they provide false claims to copyright.
This book is extremely important because of how it details the internet and online copyright issues.  It very accurately describes the foundation of the internet, and shows just how far away from that beginning things have gone.

CHits is the new website to find and share music content under Creative Commons licenses.

http://cchits.org

A nine minute student documentary of the Free Culture New York Summit held at Columbia University, January 2006. The film explores a new form of student activism, based primarily on and about the Internet. Beginning with the Free Culture demonstration at the Times Square Virgin Megastore, the documentary covers Free Culture members out to educate consumers on alternative forms of music distribution online (archive.org, ccmixter.org, blogs, etc). It continues the discussion with interviews featuring conference participants (Cory Doctorow, Creative Commons, Free Culture students activists). Finally, using cc licenses for distribution and production, the film acts as an example for other young student filmmakers who are interested in alternative copyright licensing.

This project is a systematic study of why and how it makes sense for commercial companies and noncommercial institutions active in culture, education, and media to make certain materials widely available for free, and also how free services are finding new (sometimes commercial) ways of becoming sustainable.

 

Site includes MP3s of lots of the shows. 

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A nine minute student documentary of the Free Culture New York Summit held at Columbia University, January 2006. The film explores a new form of student activism, based primarily on and about the Internet. Beginning with the Free Culture demonstration at the Times Square Virgin Megastore, the documentary covers Free Culture members out to educate consumers on alternative forms of music distribution online (archive.org, ccmixter.org, blogs, etc). It continues the discussion with interviews featuring conference participants (Cory Doctorow, Creative Commons, Free Culture students activists). Finally, using cc licenses for distribution and production, the film acts as an example for other young student filmmakers who are interested in alternative copyright licensing.

The podcast network is a resource for people engaged in podcasting, a technology briefly explained on the website that involves users of Apple's iPods downloading periodic shows for later viewing.  Included on the network are two New Zealand radio serials released under a Creative Commons license, Claybourne and Ashleys World (verification found at the blog http://blogs.oldradio.net/archives/2005/01/10/ashleys-worlds-a-radio-serial/).

In this article for Wired Magazine, Larry Lessig offers an overview of some of the troubles causes by over-protective copyright laws. As an example, Lessig tries to license the song "Happy Birthday" for recording and distribution, in honor of the first “birthday” of the Free Culture Movement. In order to obtain the rights to the song, Lessig must navigate through a web of nonresposive organizations and exorbitant fees. In the end, Lessig does not obtain the ability to record the song at all, revealing the weakness and confusion that are present in the current copyright system.

This site, run by Stanford University, is a clearinghouse for up-to-date information on copyright issues and legislation. Connected with Stanford Law School and Professor Larry Lessig, this site provides links to articles and guides detailing current copyright and fair use issues. Articles from experts commenting on recent court cases is also available. Here, visitors can also download a full version of Lessig’s latest book, Free Culture.