If you look closely at the small print at the bottom of GipPlaster.com, you’ll see a subtle-but-important change: the copyright notice has been replaced by the words “Intentionally Uncopyrighted”.
The previous copyright notice came with the blog template, but it has been plan for several months to join a few bold bloggers who are rejecting old-fashioned copyright notices for another way. I’ve edited the template to match the current state of my evolving beliefs about ownership.
I strive to recognize that we all share a common planet and a common experience. Offering advice and comments about my life’s experiences but reserving rights regarding how those words are used is simply silly. I’d like to be credited when my words are used for a purpose beyond my own designs, but I’m no longer vain enough to require that. While Creative Commons licenses and similar programs offer broad availability of other people’s words with very little credit or payment, even that is too restrictive for me.
I’m living as if I share an entire world with all its inhabitants — not as one of many inhabitants who are each carving off small, proprietary pieces of the planet.
I’ve worked as a professional writer, and I’ve had my copyrighted words used without my permission in newspapers and on websites with whom I had no relationship. I’ve also benefited from copyright laws by selling limited rights — and in a few cases all rights — to some of my articles to specific companies. Copyright laws have protected me and have caused me to be paid. I know these laws are valuable to certain writers with mindsets different from mine. That’s fine.
For me, however, it’s time to turn from my natural desire to protect what’s mine toward my even more basic desire (and one I’ve often suppressed) to freely share with the universe.
Today, I’m coining the term “Intentionally Uncopyrighted” to describe how I’m treating the words on these pages. Feel free to use the term on your blog, too. But take a look around before you go. You’re free to benefit from anything you like.
Gip Plaster is a web content writer. Previously a journalist, online bookseller and even a corporate advertising guy, Gip now specialize in writing high-quality content for websites — his and other people’s. Learn more here.