While riding on the MAX from OSCON 2005 out to PDX with Doc Searls, Phil Windley, and Dizzy, we got to talking about something Diz and I chatted about the other night: the need for some well-defined policies (analogous to Creative Commons licenses) regarding how my identity information can be shared when I release it to a website or other Internet service. Just as the CC licenses specify that you can do anything with what I create (except, depending on the license, that you must share and share alike, attribute it to me, etc.), when I release identity information to a website I'd love to stipulate that it may not do anything with it (except, depending on the identity rights agreement, that it may share it with its subsidiaries or partners, or even post it on their website if I so agree, such as at a blog or Wiki). Developing the vocabulary and straightforward set of ~5 options for identity rights agreements will require collaboration among technologists, lawyers, and other interested parties. So let's get busy!
Update: Phil Windley has also posted about our discussion.