Today, we’re introducing C0C0, a DAO incubated by members of The LAO, Flamingo DAO, and Neon DAO to support CC0 projects and unlock the power of freely licensed media by applying the collective knowledge and experience of the DAO.
NFTs are transforming the way media is created, sold, and distributed. Once a small corner of crypto, the value and breadth of NFTs have exploded. With NFTs, Internet-native and traditional creators are developing the next generation of creative content and media.
However, NFTs operate differently than other traditional forms of media. NFTs have near limitless distribution because of how easily they can be bought, sold, and traded 24/7 on universally accessible marketplaces. The seamless transfer of NFTs, in combination with provable ownership, allows for a mechanism to both capture and monetize attention online. By nature of the technology, NFTs also encourage composability, collaborative creation, and ease of distribution. With all variables considered, the more an NFT is viewed, remixed, and interacted with; the more value it accrues back to its creators and holders.
As C0C0, we believe this dynamic may be moving us beyond a world that needs strong intellectual property (IP) for media. Once these dynamics proliferate online, we’ll enter a “post-IP” media landscape, where more creative works become available in the public domain—for free.
Indeed, these dynamics have long been understood by the intellectual forces behind blockchain technology—the cypherpunks. As explained in 1992 by early cypherpunk Timothy May, the widespread use of strong cryptography “will create a liquid market for any and all material which can be put into words and pictures. And just as a seemingly minor invention like barbed wire made possible the fencing-off of vast ranches and farms, thus altering forever the concepts of land and property rights in the frontier West, so too will the seemingly minor discovery out of an arcane branch of mathematics come to be the wire clippers which dismantle the barbed wire around intellectual property.” Public domain NFTs lean into the notions described by May and other early Internet pioneers, and it’s this early vision and thesis that C0C0 aims to explore.
With CC0, there are no intellectual property rights reserved by creators of a specific work. In NFTs, the CC0 movement is gaining traction around projects like Nouns, Blitmaps, and Cryptoadz. By collecting any of these NFTs, both holders and the public writ large have the creative and commercial freedom to build, experiment, remix, and play with new media, adding a new narrative to Internet lore tied to the originals. Whether this approach is successful is still yet to be determined, but it’s an experiment worth pursuing. If anything, the Internet has shown us the power of free flowing information, composability, open platforms, and online communities—CC0 builds on this lineage. Giving media the same rights reserved to open source software is unique and could lead to a shift in the way creative works are licensed, used, and distributed in the future.
C0C0 Supports and Creates CC0 Projects
Incubated by members of The LAO, Flamingo DAO, and Neon DAO, CC0 will support, explore, and unearth the creative potential of CC0 NFTs.
We aim to be at the forefront of the emerging CC0 ecosystem by:
- Investing in and collecting CC0 projects and extensions
- Supporting the creation of new CC0 projects by DAO members and others
- Being a sound voice in the governance of CC0 projects
- Assisting with the creation, promotion, and recognition of CC0 projects that are promising, novel, and unique
As C0C0, we also want to make it easy for holders of CC0 projects to utilize their NFTs by:
- Contributing to the composability of CC0 NFTs by creating a library of various 2D/3D files
- Working with third-parties to explore community-driven storytelling, lore, and character development of CC0 projects
C0C0 aims to set the standard for community-driven storytelling through NFTs, and create a network effect by doing so. By giving more depth to CC0 narratives, we want to attract like-minded individuals to participate and build the ecosystem alongside us. The future of NFTs is delivering media through community ownership, and C0C0 intends to lead the way.
Join C0C0 DAO or the C0C0 Salon (Community)
C0C0 is a community of artists, creators, collectors, and many more. If you’re interested in learning more about joining C0C0 as a member of the DAO, please reach out to hello@c0c0dao.xyz.
If you’re curious about C0C0 and the vision, join our public Discord and chat with others in the C0C0 community, join the Salon here.