By Elliott Bledsoe, Co-lead

Creative Commons (CC) announced overnight that it has joined the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA), a members-based alliance that advocates for the implementation of what it calls digital public goods (DPGs). DPGs are “open-source software, open standards, open data, open AI systems, and open content collections that adhere to privacy and other applicable best practices, do no harm, and are of high relevance for attainment of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

CC has joined the alliance because “CC’s legal tools and our programs play a critical role in helping to achieve the DPGA’s mission and advance the DPG ecosystem overall”, and because “Solving the world’s most pressing challenges requires the open licensing and sharing of digital knowledge and cultural heritage assets about those challenges.” The move makes a lot of sense; CC’s licences and Public Domain tools and programs align well with the DPGA’s ambitions of enabling the sharing and use of DPGs, opening up knowledge and culture to help solve global challenges and providing leadership and capacity building for the communities around openly licensed content.

Of CC’s membership, Liv Marte Nordhaug, Chief Executive Officer of the DPGA Secretariat said:

“We are thrilled to welcome Creative Commons to the Digital Public Goods Alliance. Their licenses and legal tools are pivotal for enhancing the sharing of DPGs, enabling more open, accessible tools to tackle global challenges. Similarly, Creative Commons’ commitment to training and capacity building supports governments and institutions in adopting open policies and practices, enriching the DPG ecosystem and equipping advocates with the needed knowledge. Their Open Climate Campaign and Open Climate Data project, is a testament to the power of open access in addressing critical issues like the climate crisis and biodiversity preservation. Together, we look forward to making significant strides towards a more open and sustainable world.”

Liv Marte Nordhaug, Chief Executive Officer, DPGA Secretariat

A particularly salient point here is that CC licences are, in a way, integral to many open movements and communities worldwide. The licences and Public Domain tools are almost infrastructural in nature. This is by no means meant to downplay their importance or value; rather a recognition that greater importance and value rightly should be ascribed to what is enabled by CC (not to the licences themselves).

Here at CC Australia, we are excited about the announcement and look forward to connecting Australians with CC’s activities through the DPGA.