Creative Commons Licences and Design : Are the Two Compatible?

New technologies have changed the way designers create and distribute their works. They use computer programs to conceive everyday objects – such as lamps, furniture, toys and electronic devices – as well as to draw their digital plans. They also use the Internet to share and distribute their digital files. During the last few years, several online platforms have emerged to host designers’ digital files. These sites offer Internet users the possibility to construct product designs based on digital blueprints and encourage them to build upon the designs.This new trend is known among the community of designers as the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) culture, referring to the fanzine movement of the 1940s where producers (fans of magazines) of small, non-commercial and non-professional publications privileged the “do-it- yourself” under the motto “make your own culture and stop consuming that which is made for you”. By disseminating their digital blueprints on specific platforms, designers are not only sharing their creations but are also encouraging co-creation. One of the features of these platforms is to invite designers to distribute their digital files or creations under an open content licence such as Creative Commons (CC) licences. These examples constitute a good case study to analyse whether designs can be shared under a Creative Commons licence