3 questions with the Senior Counsel at Creative Commons

Sarah Hinchcliff Pearson - Senior Counsel at Creative Commons

Connect with this Des Moines-resident at @shinchpearson or run into her Power Life Yoga, La Mie and soon at StartupCity

What is Creative Commons and what do you do there?

CC is a nonprofit based in the Bay Area that publishes free public copyright licenses that allow content to be reused and remixed online with few legal restrictions. The idea is to give copyright holders an alternative to "all rights reserved" copyright. We call it "some rights reserved." The licenses help power everything from Wikipedia to Khan Academy to Europeana.

As an in-house lawyer at CC, my job is a mix of international copyright legal/policy work and typical in-house legal work. 

What is the most obscure or surprising place you've seen someone use the CC license?

This is increasingly not as obscure, but my current favorite use of CC licensing is the game Cards Against Humanity. For those that haven't heard of it, it's basically a dark twist on Apples to Apples. It definitely makes for some amusing parties, but it's not for the faint of heart!

What's been the best thing about relocating from San Francisco to Des Moines?

Without question, the best thing is being close to my family. Our 19-month-old is in heaven being doted on by his cousins, grandparents and aunts. Also, it's been a really nice surprise to see how much Des Moines has changed (for the better!) since I left 15 years ago. I will always have a special place in my heart for San Francisco, but it's great to be back.

Photo Credit: Cards Against Humanity photo by johnholzer on flickr (used under a CC license!). Headshot courtesy of Pearson.