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Google enables filtering for Creative Commons-licensed content

Creative Commons announced that Google now enables filtering for Creative Commons-licensed content.

Following the example of Yahoo!’s CC-search that was released in March 2004 and then incorporated into Yahoo!’s Advanced Search page, Google has incorporated a new element into its Advanced Search page that allows users to filter their search by “Usage Rights.” By choosing to search for content that “allows some form of reuse” or “can be freely modified, adapted or built upon,” search results with be limited to content that is made available under a Creative Commons license.

Creative Commons CEO & Chairman, Lawrence Lessig (blog) said “Creative Commons is thrilled by Google’s decision to join Yahoo! in enabling the spread of CC-licensed content.  Now two major search engines recognize Creative Commons licenses; this confirms that CC is an important part of the infrastructure of the Internet.

Creative Commons own search page now gives site visitors the ability to search using either Google or Yahoo!.

Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that provides a flexible copyright licenses for authors and artists

Net Empowers Filipino Animator

Hey all, Mike here. I had the pleasure of meeting young Filipino animator Ramon del Prado cosplaying Tekken's Kazuya at a party yesterday. Turns out while I was on stage at AnimeXplosion 2005, his animated short Egg was competing at the festival.

Good to see he's on leading Flash animation portal Newgrounds. Hope to see more Internet-empowered freelance animators in the Philippines.

Philippine Online Game List Updated

Laibcoms updates his list of Philippine online games -- now up to 28. Check it out at its new location here.

The top earner on the list makes around US$ 1.7 million a month; imagine how much revenue all 28 of them generate. As a Korean game exec opines, the Philippine online game publishing industry is only two years behind Korea's.

Hey, Dondi, when the CICT develops something like the KGDI, you should hire Laibcoms. My recorded gaming hours can't hold a candle to his. ;)

Lisa DeBenedictis Remix Contest Winners!

Creative Commons and Magnatune announced the winners of the Lisa DeBenedictis Remix Contest hosted on ccMixter (www.ccmixter.org) from June 15, 2005 to July 31, 2005. Due to the high-quality remixes received, Magnatune increased the number of winning entries from 10, as originally planned, to 15. There were thirteen winners.

Creative Commons offers free licenses and tools to enable creators to publish their works on more flexible terms. It promotes the creative re-use of intellectual and artistic works—whether owned or in the public domain—by empowering authors and audiences. Magnatune is an independent, online record label that hand selects its own artists, sells its catalog of music through online downloads and print-on-demand CDs and licenses music for commercial and non-commercial use.

All winners are signed to a Magnatune standard recording contract and will be included on a forthcoming Lisa DeBenedictis remix album to be sold commercially. The artists' share (50% from the first sale) will be split between the winners and (of course) the artists they sample.

The 15 winning entries, and winning artists, are (in no particular order):

1. Sergio Gomez (Love Bird)
2. Rudiger Lippert (Cuckoo Remix)
3. Thomas Walter (Below Acappella)
4. Richard Ashcroft (BELLOW)
5. Tim Holt (Cuckoo passive-aggressive)
6. Marc Kowalski (below-DU-first-mix)
7. Richard Ashcroft (BELOW Linda Barker Mix)
8. James Margetts (Structured Emotions)
9. Brian Trifon (Stranger from Below)
10. Gabor Valasek (The Cuckoo, bittersweet)
11. Marc Kowalski (below-DU-mix)
12. David Sims (Below and Beyond)
13. Eric Ohara (Below Lambourgino)
14. Thom O'Connor (Unaffected)
15. Sharp Hall (Cuckoo- Liquid Ambient)

Contest winners used Magnatune music, including DeBenedictis' music, to create their own remix compositions and posted their winning tracks up on ccMixter. ccMixter is a site made available by Creative Commons to
encourage legal media collaboration and remixing. The site shows the genealogy of creativity by displaying both the tracks that a particular remix has sampled and the subsequent tracks that remix that remix. The software that runs the site has been released to the public to enable anyone to create a similar site for music or any other format.

Lisa DeBenedictis is one of Magnatune’s more than 175 artists who enjoys 50-50 profit splitting and full rights to her music. A "one-woman operation," she plays a variety of instruments including piano, guitar, keyboard, violin, oboe and mandolin. DeBenedictis is the sole writer, performer and producer of all her music. Her songs have been described as ethereal, fresh and original, earning her the comparisons of other well-known female soloists including Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. Prior to going solo, DeBenedictis performed in a rock duo called “Ring
of Nine” and California Avant Rock duo “DirtyDirtyRockStar.” In addition to writing songs, Lisa composes instrumental music for film.

The concept of "open source" file-sharing originated in the computer software world, and has moved into music. Individual tracks, a drum or bass line within a recording, can be taken and remixed with other tracks to create a completely new composition. Other musicians can then modify, improve or add to the “source” without worrying about obtaining permission from the original artists. Unlike other illegal music remix contests where an artist’s work has been taken and sold without the artist’s permission, Magnatune and Creative Commons partnered with Lisa DeBenedictis for this effort. Contest participants were invited to freely copy selected Magnatune music to produce their winning works.

Producers often work for months to build their multi-layered remix compositions. Remix tracks can be highly sophisticated with limitless musical sound samples and layers.

Magnatune music is available for download and streaming under Creative Commons licensing. The Creative Commons license gives artists the ability to signal that others may freely share and build upon their existing works, be it musical, written, or images. Unusual in the music industry, Magnatune splits profits from
album sales with the artists and allows them to keep ownership of the rights to their music.

We Make IT Fun

"If you're not having fun in IT, you're not in the Philippines." -- Doc Searls

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