Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand has launched a dynamic web project that offers a new approach to copyright.

The CCANZ website allows New Zealanders to choose "some rights reserved" copyright for their own creative works.

Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand has launched a dynamic web project that offers a new approach to copyright.

The CCANZ website allows New Zealanders to choose "some rights reserved" copyright for their own creative works.

The international Creative Commons movement towards internet-friendly copyright is embraced in more than 40 countries and its generic licences have been recently tailored to New Zealand's legal jurisdiction.

Creative Commons licences encourage sharing. Every CC licence requires that users credit the owner properly, but licence holders can choose other restrictions too. Some licences do not allow commercial use or derivative versions.

With a sharp rise in online sharing, educational institutions are looking at methods for creating and consuming licensed material.

Auckland University Library is leading the way by applying Creative Commons licences to research collected in their institutional repositories, and Otago Polytechnic have adopted Creative Commons as part of their rights management.

"Innovation societies depend upon open access to knowledge" explains Dr Opie, Executive Director of The Council for the Humanities. "Creative Commons is an important initiative, providing New Zealanders with a means of gaining recognition for their work while encouraging its use by others."

Members of CCANZ will speaking about Creative Commons and E-Learning at the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics New Zealand eFest conference in September. CCANZ is a project of Te Whainga Aronui The Council for the Humanities. Press release: Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand 04/09/08