In this blog we have talked repeatedly of Bunsen , a webcomic-chocolate-science and Mexican Jorge Pinto and a few days ago was developed into a book published by The Editorial figure . A book that, according to the author, is 100% pirateable: because it has a license that advocates for free culture, Creative Commons, which promotes copy and distribute the work.
Speaking of books and events to promote it in recent days, including a Forum / Discussion of Free Culture , interviewed Jorge and Mauricio Pinto, editor of the figure Publisher. Your answers realize the importance of using less restrictive distribution models, however more open and closer to the author and his followers. This is how the free culture establishes relations, economic and cultural, balanced for all parties, where everyone wins.
ALT1040: How did you decide to use Creative Commons licenses to your work?
Jorge Pinto: When I started doing comics in college, it was clear that was not going to spend the time, money and effort to record all my works meant to Copyright. At that time I was very interested in the free software movement, and register my digital comic itself made little sense.
ALT1040: For your book, did you have a role model?
JP: Not really. The format of this book is an experiment for me and the publisher. Thanks to Creative Commons, technically and legally can get copy and give it to your friends, if you wanted to. But it also contains a code to download the entire contents of the book (and many extras) in digital format. Thus, not even have to photocopy it, you can simply send the strips in high resolution to anyone. Or you can print and frame them, or publish them in your school newspaper or on the bulletin board in your office.
It is a hybrid digital book. I grew up on the Internet, has been part of my daily routine since I have 10 years. The free flow of information on the Internet is something that has shaped my life and my way of understanding art and information in general. So I try to take that philosophy to every project you work on.
ALT1040: In what ways, creative, economic, etc.-is relevant to your work using Creative Commons licenses instead of traditional copyright?
JP: It was probably the most important factor in the development of my comic. Since officially promoting the copy of my work, many people have taken on the task of exploiting that right and share my comic with as many people as possible. Thus arose the Bunsen original success of those early readers who understood the reason for the free license and began to promote my comic as his own. Could not do that or the more expensive equipment and specialized marketing market.
The economic aspect has been the biggest surprise. Actually when I started doing this, I was convinced that he never would take a weight. But as people shared my comics and earned more readers started coming many economic opportunities that otherwise would not have had as advertising, sponsors or invitations to conferences and workshops. Not to mention that 90% of my clients Illustration know me through my comic.
Share my comic free is something that has proven to have many benefits, now do the same in almost everything I do. When we launched the iPhone app Bunsen (which costs), we also published a pirated version you could install it without paying a dime. Many told us that we were throwing money away, but from the first day of implementation pirate sales rose official application. This is because most people knew her, liked it, passed it to some friends and decided to buy it officially, either for support or to support me as an author.
ALT1040: What is the benefit to your followers?
JP: Think about how many times have you seen a comic, a picture or heard a song that means a lot to you and all your friends want to share with you this experience. If you pass it to a friend a song, technically you are committing a crime. And this is the most important: nobody cares! Nobody stops to pass something to a friend for fear of breaking any copyright law.
To my readers means you can read all that I do for free, but also you can share it freely without falling into a "violation of copyright". If however they will not hamper them interest me whatsoever. In any case, I want to encourage it.
Mauritius also interviewed, the figure Publisher, responsible for making possible the publication of the book on CD, to give us his version of the story, especially his perspective as an editor who made a commitment to free culture.
ALT1040: What convinced you to publish without Copyright?
Mauritius: The truth was not a difficult decision. The idea is essentially Jorge, as Bunsen is a project that has always been under the Creative Commons license and is an essential part of the project, I believe that no such license had largely broken the "spirit" of what it means Bunsen.
Also, fortunately, Jorge and me when we talked about the project to edit the book, we realized that we had ideas very consistent about content distribution, dissemination of artistic products and new patterns of movement that are becoming increasingly hard. Basically we believe in the same thing and that was a significant boost for both parties.
ALT1040: What is your experience in publishing content Creative Commons?
M: No, we are in a field of experimentation all waiting to see how people respond to this type of movement. We are sheltered by a great product that Jorge has been working for years and is also why we were convinced it that way.
The truth is that we have done extensive research on how many books have been published in the country under this model (...) I think, personally, that markets, not only all the editorials are sometimes very mean and abusive with the public, and this is only a very small contribution we want to do to improve and make a little more just relationship with the receivers.
(...) The type of license you have the book is not important, the important thing is that people like it, share it, spread it, criticize it, well, you know, because that helps us to improve professionally (...) is very easy to be happy creating such projects.
ALT1040: What would you say to other publishers and authors to use Creative Commons licenses?
M: I do not feel qualified to give advice or warnings to anyone, because, like I said, we are in an experimental field that has all the unknowns about him. What I can say to anyone who wants to hear is that the world is moving, and if one does not move with it can happen very hard time struggling with the transition process.
We are not exempt from it or anything, but I'm sure that when people like your product is going to share, with or without your permission, why hinder it? Is not it a huge compliment rather than an insult, people to share your work? It seems to me that everywhere enriching free circulation of content, because who will want to buy anyway, who will want to share anyway.
As intermediaries in a world that is beginning to see that things can be shared directly between authors and recipients, we are left to adapt and to point out to people why our work is worth it, for what it's worth the effort and money put into it, and the authors show that we have a field of expertise with which we can leverage the strength of his work.
Bunsen comics are online and are free, have been there many years, the book you buy and then you can move it as you want, then it is clear that we are not trying to promote only that, but a whole editorial concept and draft articles on obvious changes in the world, changes that we like and that while we do not know exactly how to handle them, we try our best to do what we like and what we think best.
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