I had an idea. I want to share this idea with you but it would be nice if I could retain credit for it. I want you to take this idea and make something new of it, whatever you like, except don't make any money out of it without checking with me first. It would be nice if whatever you created could be shared in the same way as this idea is.

My idea originated as a phrase: "Open source product design". Open source is a phrase relating to the way in which programmers develop software by sharing the source code, changing and improving it iteratively while avoiding the irritations of copyright law so treasured by big business. Product Design is, a) the pursuit of creating real world objects and systems; b) my degree.

Having a love of both phrases I would like to combine them. If programmers can collaborate internationally and create operating systems that out-do all others in functionality and economy, why can't designers do the same with products?

I went on a search to find out how the programmers did it. I ended up at the Creative Commons website. There I found the very license that would allow me to protect my idea in the way that I want. Here it is:





This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.





So why not with products?

Comments and queries welcomed.

Some rights reserved.

25.02.04 - This article has since been transplanted to and augmented at theSound...