discuss: Documentation licensing
Subject:
Re: Documentation licensing
From:
David Merrill ####@####.####
Date:
24 May 2002 00:40:56 -0000
Message-Id: <20020524013308.GI13311@lupercalia.net>
On Thu, May 23, 2002 at 01:55:02PM -0700, David Lawyer wrote:
> On Thu, May 23, 2002 at 11:32:13AM -0600, Chris Riddoch wrote:
> > Hi, everyone.
> >
> > After briefly skimming the recent threads on document licensing
> > issues, a general issue comes to mind.
> >
> > I'm sure someone has a simple answer that demonstrates the needs met
> > by the current system rather than another, but why exactly are the
> > copyrights of HOWTOs and other documents not simply signed over to the
> > LDP?
>
> Even if the LDP were a legal entity and could own copyrights, there
> might still be some danger if LDP owned the copyrights. Suppose LDP
> was taken over by people that wanted to commercialize on documentation
> and sell it? Takeovers can be insidious where people volunteer to help
> the LDP, pretending to support free software, and then reveal their true
> intentions and commercialize it. So free documentation needs to have a
> free license to keep it free. Even in this case, the copyright owner
> can always change the license on a new version. The old version remains
> under it's original license.
That is a good point, David, and I hadn't thought of it. If an author
wants to reassign copyright to someone who can be always counted on to
keep it Free, they might consider the FSF, though.
And honestly I do not see the LDP ever commercializing anything for
profit. Yes, a random individual could work their way in without
showing their true colors, but it would take a majority of the LDP
board to do such a thing, and we all know each other well enough that
we should be comfortable the majority is strongly opposed to such
things.
Now, selling CDs for $5.00 for the LDP, which can also be downloaded
for free, I would be fine with. Selling things is not wrong, even if
they are Free! But turning it proprietary in the licensing I would
never support. Nor would the board of the LDP, Inc., I am sure.
--
David C. Merrill http://www.lupercalia.net
Linux Documentation Project ####@####.####
Lead Developer http://www.tldp.org
The opposite of War isn't Peace. It's Creation!
-- RENT
