Why do people register their works?
When we have to explain what is Safe Creative for we quickly reach a basic doubt: What is what motivates people most to register their creations?
During thisyears we have found answers all kinds, and really there is not one single motivation, but several that come together at the same time; the priority although usually varies depending on the wishes of the authors which is also reflected in the type of rights declaration they wish to state.
While one cannot generalize, we have noted there are two major trends that drive people to register in direct connection with this we have said in the previous paragraph:
– Generate and communicate evidence of authorship to prevent others from copying a work the author reserves all rights of or…
– … generate enough information to ensure that a work that the author wants to share, it is in the desired terms.
The first group is the most classic in the use of “copyright” and seek to avoid to the maximum that his creations may be copied and used without your express consent. We say that is classic as this vision is based on what the copyright laws and copyright have been giving by default for some three hundred years and has prevailed well into the 90s.
The second uses the new licensing models that allow authors to give certain permissions, such as Creative Commons licenses for their work to be spread and used, though, ensuring that the wishes expressed in the license are complied with, that is, to correctly attribute, to be or not be used commercially, and/or to permit the making of derivative works being those, if allowed, with the same license of the original work or possibly using a different one.
Whatever the model, the need to generate evidence of rights holding is critical but probably not the most critical issue: The bottom line is that the registration information is easily accessible either on the own work, or the environment in which it is published.
Therefore the truly desirable and main function should be paramount in any registration system is that the “report” is the focal point of it, because to some degree will prevent or somewhat discourage plagiarism or misuse of registered works. After that first step, and if something goes wrong, something that can occur, evidence of authorship generated will help try to make amends if possible and always with the best guarantees.
Magical solutions do not exist, and as Voltaire would say “Luck is what happens when preparation and opportunity meet and fuse.” Prepare yourself by registering and seize the opportunities that new technologies provide.
