iCommons Supports Open Video
iCommons Supports Open Video
Elizabeth S., Brooklyn, New York (United States) · 7/4/2009 04:36
Public Domain (http://www.icommons.org/publicdomain)
iCommons is proud to be one of the co-organizers of the upcoming Open Video Conference, and one of the founding members of the Open Video Alliance. The goal behind the event is to bring together an international coalition of educators, entrepreneurs, technologists, policymakers, activists, advocates, remixers, artists, academics, and others in support of openness in video. It will take place on June 19-20 in New York City at NYU Law School.
In doing so, we’re looking to launch an international movement for open video, and see the conference as only a starting point in the broader push for cultural engagement and freedom of expression in online video. If you’d like to get involved, get in touch at conference@openvideoalliance.org.
So, what exactly is open video?
Open Video is a broad based movement of video creators, technologists, academics, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, activists, remixers, and many others. When most folks think of “open,” they think of open source and open codecs. They’re right—but there’s more to Open Video than open codecs. Open Video is the growing movement for transparency, interoperability, and further decentralization in online video. These qualities provide more fertile ground for independent producers, bottom-up innovation, and greater protection for free speech online.
YouTube and other online video applications are rightly celebrated for empowering end-users; however, online video lacks some of the essential qualities that make text and images on the web such powerful tools for free speech and technical innovation. Email, blogs, and other staples of the open web rely on ubiquitous and interoperable technologies that have low barriers to entry; they are massively decentralized and resistant to censorship or regulation. Video, meanwhile, relies on centralized distribution and proprietary technologies which can threaten cultural discourse and innovation.
Open Video is about the legal and social norms surrounding online video. It’s the ability to attach the license of your choice to videos you publish. It’s about media consolidation, aggregation, and decentralization. It’s about fair use. In short, it’s about a lot of things, and that’s why this conference is going to be so exciting!
Stay tuned to the Open Video Conference blog and Twitter account for further updates.