Copy Lights Manifesto

1. What is Copy Lights?

The Copy Lights movement, which I advocate, is a movement that aims to realize a society with self-reliance and symbiosis by advocating a license to share intellectual property globally and operate it on the basis of contribution, and by building a system to realize this.Specifically, it aims to encourage people and organizations to work for the greater good of the whole by quantifying, visualizing, and granting rights to their contributions to knowledge and to the community, and ultimately to realize the kind of society shown below.

  • To create a self-reliant society that can respect diverse individuals.
  • Realize coexistence with all humankind and nature, aiming for a sustainable society.
  • Realize a relationship in which many people can compete with each other in friendly competition, while at the same time compensating for each other's weaknesses.

The abstract of the Copy Lights license is shown below.

  • Based on the belief that society should be formed by contributions to local communities and global knowledge, I advocate Copy Lights instead of Copyright or Copy left.
  • I believe that knowledge has no borders, and I propose a framework for sharing intellectual products as assets in a global community.
  • I believe that everyone has the right to form the above community, and that the community has the right to freely define how the asset is shared among the community.
  • I call the measure of contribution light.
  • Light is also the right to operate the asset.
  • Light is added by contributions to the asset and contributions to society.
  • The contribution to the asset is called global light, and the contribution to society is called local light.
  • Global light can be used across national borders.
  • Local light is light that can be used only within one country, but it can be converted to global light.
  • Global lights can be freely exchanged between communities.
  • There is a limit to the amount of local light that can be exchanged between communities per year. If a large amount of light is exchanged, it will be accompanied by a specified percentage reduction.
  • Light can be stocked, but since I value the future more than the past, light will depreciate over time.
  • Light can be granted to organizations and individuals.
  • Light is non-transferable and non-tradeable, but in order to help the employment of light holders, companies that employ top light holders will get more local light than usual.
  • The top light holder and the top light organization in each country shall have the right to decide how to operate the asset. However, in order to be ranked higher, the possession of a certain amount of local light is also required.
  • The ownership of the asset is basically vested in the registrant, i.e., the intellectual producer, with certain restrictions, and the right of use is vested in the exerciser according to the amount of light exercised.
  • The details of the basic rules of operation shall be in accordance with the guidelines shown separately.

2. Why do I need to create Copy Lights?

 Excessive protection, as seen in commercial intellectual property rights, has discouraged intellectual property collaboration and prevented new intellectual production from taking place.

In addition, while knowledge transcends national borders, intellectual property is operated by the legal systems of each country and contracts between each organization, and the sharing of commercial knowledge across borders and organizations is never smooth.  As a result, there is a situation in which rights that should be protected are not protected, such as rights generated domestically are not protected abroad, and on the other hand, there is a situation in which things that should be coordinated are not coordinated, which can be said to be a disjointed situation that hinders new intellectual production.

 On the other hand, movements such as GNU, which aimed at openness and evolution of intellectual assets without distinction to national borders and organizations, achieved great results, but resulted in a decline in the economic value of intellectual assets, and did not spread to areas with large commercial value. In addition, the negative aspects of the movement, such as the lack of respect for the organizations and people who produced intellectuals and the tendency for those who used the achievements of others to win, have become too much for society to overlook. The situation is so incongruous that although most of the economic results are generated by intellectual production, the argument that academics are unnecessary, that art is neglected, and that ideas are neglected prevails.

For this reason, I believe that we need not only a knowledge-sharing system like GNU, but also an international system that provides incentives for intellectual contributions while sharing knowledge globally. This is not to deny GNU, but to say that it is necessary for both sides to live separately.

 If we look at the world from a broader perspective, we can see that there are conflicts between global corporations and nations, between protected trade and free trade, between environmental protection and consumer society, between nations, between ethnic groups, between capitalists and the poor, between corporations, between regular employees and temporary workers, between men and women, between generations, between employment and efficiency, and so on.

 Looking at history, we can see that anomie and chaos emerge when the structure of conflict deepens, and humanity has overcome it at the cost of war.  The current situation differs from history in that we now have nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction that can inflict fatal damage on the environment, and we are at a turning point in human history, wondering whether or not we will be able to overcome them through human wisdom.

 Many of the aforementioned conflicts can be attributed to the "prisoner's dilemma" problem, and the general solution to the prisoner's dilemma problem is to know and trust each other. We believe that this means respecting each other's cultures and backgrounds while developing a higher level of global knowledge in a way that respects each other's cultures and communities. This also means developing global knowledge in a way that respects each other's cultures and communities. In addition, it means that each individual should think and act in a way that contributes to the local community.

 In this way, we need a framework to develop global knowledge while respecting cultures and communities, and to promote intellectual and social contributions.

 When I was young, I specialized in machinery, and my dream at that time was to help a society with declining birthrates and an aging population through the sophistication of machinery, and to free people from physically painful labor. I also dreamed of creating a sustainable system in harmony with nature. I have seen many of these social problems solved technically, but rarely implemented in practice. This thought is also a major motivation for me to create Copy Lights.

3. How do I distribute Copy Lights?

 Copy Lights is a movement in which anyone is free to form a global community in a variety of open and closed forms, and in which anyone can become a participant. I will provide the basic rules and the system specifications to make it happen.

(The method of distributing the rules and specifications is yet to be determined. I will make the specifications and rules openly available when the time is right, but initially they will be shared within the working group.)

 In addition, we would like to provide an IT platform as an example of how to implement the system.

 Copy Lights is also a lubricant that stimulates interaction between communities and borders, and the common rules I will present will make its function as a lubricant more effective and sustainable. The common rules I present will make the lubricating function more effective and sustainable, and will systematically strike a balance between protecting the culture that needs to be protected and not just pursuing simple efficiency. The basic rules document consists of a document on the definition of the license and a document on the guidelines for defining the rules for activities in each community and country.

 The system specifications are intended to make interactions within communities and between communities and borders more efficient and seamless. They are also provided in the form of APIs and formats to make the ambiguity of the rules in the documents more rigorous.

 The IT platform to be provided is intended to significantly reduce the effort of rule making and operation, and is also beneficial in forming a more advanced platform, which can serve as a reference in forming different platforms that are compatible.

4. Why do so many others agree with Copy Lights?

 Let me explain why so many people support the Copy Lights movement from multiple perspectives.

 What about the industrial world? In today's society, where the value of the intellectual realm is high, a society that is rich in diversity and niche industries is a society that is rich in diversity and niche industries. Globalizing the intellectual realm so that it does not become average and flat will have a positive effect on the economy because it will contribute to stimulating economic activity. It will also have a positive effect on the economy. In addition, existing large organizations can effectively utilize the intellectual property they already possess for the global market, and they can also use technologies that are beneficial (to them) from other companies. Therefore, it would be easy to get the support of the industrial world.

 What about individuals? If you look around, you will find that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, and although everyone has a little idea, it is not easily realized because the threshold to realize it is too high or the way to realize it is not clear. If we can easily form a team to realize such ideas and make good use of the necessary intellectual assets, more people will be able to take concrete actions for the realization of a better society, and the range of things that can be realized will expand. In addition, the development of infrastructure will allow people to challenge their dreams with less risk. For these reasons, it will be easier to get support from individuals who want to create something.

 For example, developers and designers will be able to utilize software and content assets developed in various countries, which will expand their range of expression and make it easier for them to create software and content with their own unique colors. In addition, if intellectual production, which is often difficult to evaluate, is properly evaluated, it will be easier to receive social recognition, and if there is a bias to use software assets around the world, the number of users will increase, which will improve motivation. Therefore, it will be easier to get support from developers and designers.

 Individuals in general would also be able to enjoy content from around the world within a certain range of restrictions, and the collaboration of content and technology would improve the quality of the content, which would increase enjoyment and make society a better place to live. As a side effect of this, there will be an increase in the possibility that high-quality content will be made available for a fee or charge, but if creators can engage in creative activities with peace of mind while securing their livelihoods, better products will be created.

 If you are a wealthy person, you will find it easier to innovate and create new industries, which will lead to more investment in your business, and you will be able to contribute to society and benefit economically at the same time.

 Local workers would be able to do what they like and challenge their own dreams. Also, the social contribution of each person would make society a better place to live. A system that protects local culture will reduce the risk of globalization threatening people's livelihood, and the employment situation will improve as more new businesses are launched.

 For innovators, the threshold for starting a business will be lowered because the asset-based system will provide a foundation for creating new businesses. It will also make it easier to raise funds, as it will be easier to attract investments from wealthy individuals who wish to contribute to society.

 Multinational companies will be able to expand into untapped areas and share knowledge across borders more easily and smoothly. This will also lead to better living conditions for many of the world's poorest people.

5. How can you contribute?

 Change the Right part of your Copy Right --- i.e., the right --- into light --- i.e., the light --- and let those who need it use it. Let's change the Right part of Copy Right to ---, light, ---, and let those who need it use it, and let others use their light as well.

 It doesn't have to be a big deal. A little bit of your sensitivity, a little bit of your event, a little bit of your idea can inspire something wonderful somewhere in the world.

 When we shine that light on each other, new creations are born, new technologies are born, new exchanges are born, new values are born, and we are freed from boring social problems. By transcending national borders, cultural spheres, languages, and races, and shining the light together, we will be able to overcome any difficulty by letting the light shine on the darkness that we were not aware of. And if we can utilize the value that is created and create a social infrastructure for new light to be born, we will be able to create an even brighter society. Then, the world will be a better place. It will be a shining world where people can be more creative, have dignity, pride and compassion, and have hope for the future.

6. Why should all people benefit?

 The value of intellectuals is like a catalyst: an intellectual chemical reaction between certain elements of culture generates heat and light, which benefits people and society.

 The Copy Lights movement is a movement to create new value through catalysts and to spread the benefits throughout society, freeing people from the trivialities of fighting for a piece of the pie and wearing each other down, and encouraging people to act for the greater good of the whole.

 Many people will benefit from the nature of such activities.

 Looking at the world from a broader perspective, the world already has enough infrastructure related to goods, such as technology to secure resources, technology to trade, and technology to produce goods, etc. From the perspective of resources, a society where people can live without anxiety seems feasible. However, this excessive infrastructure has led to excessive competition, and many people around the world are suffering economically. In addition, many developed countries that read this trend and switched to intellectual industries, or service industries, early on, have been swallowed by the rapid deflationary wave that is occurring in intellectual assets, and their economies have become unsustainable from a broad perspective.

 In short, I believe that by maximizing the value of intellectual industries, we can compensate for the plummeting value of material goods due to excessive infrastructure, prevent a global economic contraction and balance, and prevent further waste of resources and environmental pollution by shifting from material to intellectual industries.

7. Significance to Copy Lights goals and easy to disprove.

 The significance of my goal is to achieve a shift from a society where each individual pursues only his or her own interests to a society where everyone aims for a livable society while considering the whole. I believe that such a social paradigm shift will help us to overcome all social problems. Lastly, I would like to share my thoughts on the concerns and questions that have been raised about this license and system.

Q. Isn't it possible that those who have contributed the most to the community will have the right to make decisions, and that minority opinions will not be reflected?

A. Since each person is free to form a new community, if there is a movement within a community to exclude minority opinions, there is a way to create a new community and have autonomy within it. It is also possible to create unchangeable rules within the community in advance to prevent the community's top contributors from having autonomy to do as they please. In any case, the main purpose of this license is to allow people to create freely in an environment where they can perform at their best, and to provide many options for that purpose.

Q. If the whole world gets richer, won't the population explosion be unstoppable and unsustainable?

A. Population growth in developed countries has not been very rapid. My own theory on this is that the higher the level of need in Maslow's pyramid of needs, the lower the birth rate tends to be, and as society matures, the population explosion will be controlled. Therefore, I believe that the expansion of intellectual industries will not cause a population explosion and will not contradict the goal of creating a sustainable society.

Draft Copyright

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