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Free Culture

Asset Stripping Licenses And Value Creation Licenses

“Asset stripping” is breaking up a company and selling off its assets. This does the company no good whatsoever but makes the asset stripper (or “corporate raider”) a lot of money.

http://www.anz.com/edna/dictionary.asp?action=content&content=asset_stripping

An “asset stripping license” would be one that allowed work to be broken up and sold off by an asset stripper (or “cultural raider”) without any value returning. This would be done to make sure that business isn’t scared of the work and feels comfortable using it, as per “Open Source” vs. “Free Software”.

“Value creation” is revenue generation that is “greater than the sum of its parts”. Good management, customer loyalty, new products and services and other innovation or good corporate citizenship can add value.

http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue8_8/cedergren/

A “value creation” license would be a “Gift Economy” license (still don’t like that phrase…), ensuring that value is returned with use and protecting against asset stripping, literally creating value in the commons.

Both terms are ones that businesspeople will recognise, and so are useful for boosting or disparaging concepts in that arena.