In a world where ACTA is on the horizon and grandmothers are being sued by record companies, it's easy to forget that enjoying entertainment doesn't have to carry the risk of criminal charges. This site is dedicated to helping you find quality products that you can give to your friends and family (or yourself!), safe in the knowledge that they won't be breaking the law. Books like "The Lost Symbol" or movies like "Transformers 2" carry no such guarantees. By owning them, you're running the risk of being sued. Can you live with that fear?
Free Culture covers a wide range of concepts, but the basic criteria is that your fundamental consumer rights under copyright law are protected. You can give your copy to a friend and not be breaking whatever new laws get made up next week. You can discuss things online without getting a takedown notice. You can enjoy your media on your terms.
Free Culture won't solve the world's problems, but it won't make new ones, either.
You know how you can't listen to your music on more than one or two devices? Or how your eBook can disappear if the publisher changes their mind? Or how you can't legally watch your DVD because your computer isn't authorized to do so? These are all symptoms of a larger problem: the media conglomerates think you're a criminal-in-waiting. They don't trust you, and they don't like you.
You COULD buy their products, but that's kind of like Stockholm Syndrome, isn't it? If the barista at Starbucks chains you to the counter and punches you in the face, you don't put on a smile and ask for another coffee. So why would you do it with your books, music and movies?
The artists with their products on this site DO trust you. They haven't punched you in the face. Not even once. So how about you return the favour and buy one of their products this holiday season, rather than going back to the companies with the bruised knuckles?
No, but you'll be going to hell.
Some of these products are free as in beer, and you can find them online if you look. However...
If you're asking this specific question, you're probably a free software fan. If you're a free software fan, let me put it this way: buying one of these products is like leaving a donation for the programmer who wrote that little util that saved you those five hours of coding for that project you're working on. You don't need to buy these things, but if you spend your money on something else, it's very much like pouring money into closed source companies, rather than supporting open source projects. If you're okay with that, that's fine, but if you're asking that question, you probably like to act on principle, and I would suggest to you that supporting Free Culture is just as important as supporting Free Software. YMMV.
This site was done by me, MCM. All my books are Creative Commons licensed, so my angle is that I want you to buy my stuff. But really, there's no obligation. There's a lot of great content out there, so be choosy!
None at all. Affiliate links are tacky.
If you have something you want listed, send me an email with the product and a short blurb (one sentence preferable) and a link to a store where people can buy it. I don't guarantee I'll post everything I get — I'm trying to have some quality control here — but I will consider everything.
Life's a bitch, ain't it? But really, I've had thousands of people enjoy my works. I'm pretty confident in their quality.
You know what? I'm sick of your lip. No dessert for you, mister.