The Content Nation Constitution

What are the new ground rules in today's publishing? How can a world empowered as publishers govern itself effectively and fairly in a way that ensures the rights of its citizens to create and access content as well as the rights of people who wish to profit from their intellectual property? In this space the members of Content Nation will develop a document that will serve as the suggested Constitution of Content Nation, an ongoing effort to define the terms by which content will be created and used within Content Nation in particular and over time to serve as a model for the global publishing community in general. You are encouraged to contribute to this document. All contributions are subject to the editing and comments of other Content Nation members, with the management of Content Nation reserving final editing rights at this time.

PREAMBLE

We believe that there is one Content Nation, uniting publishers of all kinds into a common fabric of information and experiences that add value to our lives. All who wish to be a part of this common body of publishers must come to an understanding of the rights and responsibilities that should govern our actions. To that end we, the members of Content Nation, have established this Constitution to guide our personal, communal, commercial and legal actions as publishers who wish to cooperate with one another in our efforts to create a more effective and fair environment for publishing. 

ARTICLE I - MEMBERSHIP

1. Adherence to this Constitution in its most current form is a requirement for membership in Content Nation, also known as contentnation.com.
2. Members may include all individuals and institutions who consider themselves to be publishers of content. This may include, but will not be limited to, any enterprise, governmental organization, collaborative effort or individual who publishes content to an audience, regardless of their number, size, location or affiliation.
3. The purpose of membership is to promote the common goals of Content Nation members. Commercial publishers are encouraged to join Content Nation but the common purpose of Content Nation is to support both commercial and non-commercial publishers.
4. Basic membership in Content Nation is free, but Content Nation may provide levels of membership or other services that require payment from an individual or organization or services that may pay Content Nation members for their contributions.
5. All members of Content Nation must be self-representing: that is, they will speak only for themselves and for whatever role they represent personally or professionally for their own organization or cause in Content Nation. Public relations or other sponsored representations on the behalf of other organizations, people or causes by members outside of Content Nation services specifically designed for those purposes is strictly prohibited.
6. Courtesy and honesty is essential to fostering a healthy publishing community, as is the freedom and safety to speak freely. As such, misrepresentations, inflammatory materials or language or other behavior which may cause unwarranted harm to organizations, people or causes is strictly prohibited and subject to immediate and irrevocable removal.

ARTICLE II - CONTENT 

1. For our common purpose content will be defined as information and experiences created by individuals, institutions and technology to benefit audiences in contexts that they value.
   
2. A context for content could take form in any format, medium or venue that can benefit an audience.
   

ARTICLE III - GOVERNANCE

1. Shore Communications Inc. is ultimately responsible for all materials on this site and all other materials distributed via Content Nation members created via the Content Nation community. However, each person or organization contributing materials bears responsibility for their own actions in creating and editing these materials.

ARTICLE IV -  OWNERSHIP

1. Shore Communications Inc. is the sole copyright holder for all materials created on Content Nation and reserves all rights held in association with copyright ownership. 
   

ARTICLE V - DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS

1.  Shore Communications Inc. reserves all rights for the distribution of content created on Content Nation. Content created and available on contentnation.com is created for the personal non-commercial use of members of contentnation.com.

ARTICLE VI - MODIFICATION AND AMENDMENT

1. Shore Communications Inc. reserves the right to modify the Content Nation Constitution at will at all times. All modifications by Shore Communications Inc. take effect immediately in governing contentnation.com content and use.
2. Members of Content Nation are encouraged to suggest modifications and amendments and to work towards a more open model of governing Content Nation that reflects its founding values.