Yahoo! releases beta version of search engine for Creative Commons standard

(visit link: Yahoo! Search - Web Search)

Yahoo has just launched a new engine that lets people search content that allows users limited reused. Such limited rights provided by the copyright owners agree to the standards developed by Stanford University's Creative Commons project - a nonprofit group that specializes in copyright issues formed under the leadership of Prof Larry Lessig. This new Yahoo engine now enables users to search for reuseable material under two categories: for commercial reuse or to modify, adapt, or build upon. Such reuse is unavailable to conventional copyrighted material. This laudable effort is indeed counterculture in the current climate of businesses searching for business value in their intellectual property.

To have the Creative Commons project as well as the Yahoo! dedicated search engine for CC compliant material - its a godsend for the educational industry. I hope that this is merely the first drops of water before the flood of creative output being produced for public consumption and creative reuse.

Ideas needs other ideas to flourish. If the law - in the name of encouraging and protecting creative output - in effect stymies learning, exchange and creative development, then it is time for the law to be changed. Sooner the better. Development of Intellectual Property law must be carried out in balance of the interests of everyone. It really should not be left only to the IP owners.