Creative Commons takes first UK step; project launch in Reading receives mixed reaction.(Retail)

The controversial Creative Commons (CC) licence will get its first major toehold in the UK music industry next month when a new project is launched in Reading.

The Berkshire-based Remix Reading, which is claimed to be the first CC project in the UK, will allow musicians and video artists to share and remix each other's work. Already the Brighton-based record label Loca Records and guitarist Roland Chadwick have signed on to participate.

The launch comes as online record label Magnatune, which is at the forefront of the CC movement in the US and has already released Beastie Boys and David Byrne tracks on a CC compilation, has begun taking steps to advance its philosophy in the UK.

Remix project leader Tom Chance says he hopes to move the CC concept, which derived from the US philanthropic and academic community to enable artists, film makers, writers and musicians to gain exposure for their work without users having to obtain permissions normal copyright requires, from the website into the local community.

As part of this, he will help promote local music nights and gigs around the Reading area. Chance also rejects criticisms from some parts of the music industry that CC undermines copyright law and could be potentially dangerous for a young band starting out who release their work as CC only to later find out it could have had a high commercial value. "Creative Commons is not public domain. There are lots of levels and it is all up to the artist as to what type of creative commons they prefer," says Chance. He adds that under his CC licence all users will need to attribute work and that it is not suggesting that all artists release their work under a CC licence, but could offer ...