Microsoft and Creative Commons Release Tool for Copyright Licensing

Microsoft and Creative Commons Release Tool for Copyright Licensing

REDMOND, Washington and SAN FRANCISCO, June 21/PRNewswire/ --

- The Organizations Announce Availability of Microsoft Office Add-In That
Enables Easy Access to Creative Commons Copyright Licenses

Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Creative Commons, a nonprofit
organization that offers flexible copyright licenses for creative works, have
teamed up to release a copyright licensing tool that enables the easy
addition of Creative Commons licensing information for works in popular
Microsoft(R) Office applications. The copyright licensing tool will be
available free of charge at Microsoft Office Online,
http://office.microsoft.com, and CreativeCommons.org. The tool will enable
the 400 million users of Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel(R) and
Microsoft Office PowerPoint(R) to select one of several Creative Commons
licenses from within the specific application.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

"We're delighted to work with Creative Commons to bring fresh and
collaborative thinking on copyright licensing to authors and artists of all
kinds," said Craig Mundie, chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft.
"We are honoured that creative thinkers everywhere choose to use Microsoft
tools to give shape to their ideas. We're committed to removing barriers to
the sharing of ideas across borders and cultures, and are offering this
copyright tool in that spirit."

"The goal of Creative Commons is to provide authors and artists with
simple tools to mark their creative work with the freedom they intend it to
carry," said Lawrence Lessig, professor of law at Stanford Law School and
founder of Creative Commons. "We're incredibly excited to work with Microsoft
to make that ability easily available to the hundreds of millions of users of
Microsoft Office."

"It's thrilling to see big companies like Microsoft working with
nonprofits to make it easier for artists and creators to distribute their
works," said Gilberto Gil, cultural minister of Brazil, host nation for the
Creative Commons iSummit in Rio de Janeiro 23-25 June, where the copyright
licensing tool will be featured. Gil, who will keynote at the iSummit, has
released one of the first documents using the Creative Commons add-in for
Microsoft Office.

The goal of the Creative Commons licenses is to give an author a clearer
ability to express his or her intentions regarding the use of the work. The
Microsoft Office tool allows users to choose from a variety of Creative
Commons licenses that enable an author to retain copyright ownership, yet
permit the work to be copied and distributed with certain possible
restrictions, such as whether or not the work can be used commercially and
whether or not modifications can be made to the work. The full list of
licenses available from Creative Commons is available online at
http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/meet-the-licenses. The tool also
provides a way for users to dedicate a work to the public domain.

"Microsoft's openness in working with the Creative Commons is a very
exciting because an author can now easily embed licenses to creative works
during the process of innovation," said Ian Angell, professor of Information
Systems at the London School of Economics (LSE). "This is an important step
in ensuring that each individual becomes aware of his or her own intellectual
property rights -- and those of others. We at the LSE are keen to work with
Microsoft toward empowering the 'creators of intellectual wealth' to become
more involved in its commercial use." The LSE partners with Creative Commons
to drive Creative Commons license adoption and awareness in England and
Wales.

"Creative Commons licenses are essential for protecting my creative work
and for sharing it with others. They help with copyright issues, which frees
me to do my job: making movies. I'm glad Microsoft Office users can now so
easily use Creative Commons' tools," said Davis Guggenheim, director of the
documentaries "An Inconvenient Truth" and "Teach" and member of the board of
directors of Creative Commons.

"The collaboration of Microsoft and Creative Commons to bring Creative
Commons licenses to Microsoft Office applications underscores how for-profit
companies and nonprofit organizations can work together to bring innovative
ideas and tools to the public," said Alan Yates, general manager of the
Information Worker Division at Microsoft.

Microsoft and Creative Commons partnered with 3sharp LLC, a Redmond-based
independent solution provider to develop and test the copyright licensing
tool.

About Creative Commons

Creative Commons is a not-for-profit organization, founded in 2001, that
promotes the creative re-use of intellectual and artistic works -- whether
owned or in the public domain. Creative Commons licenses provide a flexible
range of protections and freedoms for authors, artists and educators that
build upon the "all rights reserved" concept of traditional copyright to
offer a voluntary "some rights reserved" approach. It is sustained by the
generous support of various foundations including the John D. and Catherine
T. MacArthur Foundation, the Omidyar Network Fund, the Hewlett Foundation,
and the Rockefeller Foundation as well as members of the public. For general
information, visit http://creativecommons.org.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services
and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.

About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)

Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft
employs more than 12,000 people in 60 subsidiaries, delivering products and
services in 138 countries and territories.

This material is for informational purposes only. Microsoft Corp
disclaims all warranties and conditions with regard to use of the material
for other purposes. Microsoft Corp shall not, at any time, be liable for any
special, direct, indirect or consequential damages, whether in an action of
contract, negligence or other action arising out of or in connection with the
use or performance of the material. Nothing herein should be construed as
constituting any kind of warranty.

NOTE: Microsoft, Excel and PowerPoint are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.

Web site: http://creativecommons.org
Web site: http://www.microsoft.com

Source: Microsoft Corp.

Jessica Coffman, +1-425-638-7000, or jessicac@waggeneredstrom.com, or Rapid Response Team, +1-503-443-7070, or rrt@waggeneredstrom.com, both of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, for Microsoft Corp; or Microsoft EMEA Response Centre, +44-870-243-0515, or
emearesponse@waggeneredstrom.com; or Eric Steuer of Creative Commons,
+1-415-946-3039, or eric@creativecommons.org/
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