The BBC have released their Creative Archive under a “sort-of like but not quite the same as Creative Commons” licence.
The licence itself is notable for its clarity (though, dear reader, Geeklawyer suspects that his idea of clarity and yours may differ), which is good, and a ‘UK citizens only‘ provision which is controversial and not good. Many outside the UK will view this as discriminatory and unworkable. Unarguably true. The BBC is somewhat hamstrung by its public status and the fact that the Creative Archive was funded by and built on UK taxpayers money and TV licence fees.
Geeklawyer understands this argument but disagrees. UK taxpayers will be best served by global use of the archive. Non UK citizens who use the material would have returned it to the UK in new and shiny forms.
Because the licence is invalid outside the UK and because non UK citizens will take the material, the legal status of any derived works returning into the UK will be unclear: if you don’t have a valid Creative Archive licence you cannot issue one of your own.
Nonetheless, all very welcome. Let us not let these quibbles detract from what is a massive imaginative deeply original and, above all, brave move. Now, who’s next? I’m looking at you ITV. No it’s OK Fox, please don’t release your stuff: we’ve suffered enough.
Pecks on the cheek and 2.9 cheers for dear Auntie Beeb.
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