Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 03:56:49 -0700 (MST) Message-Id: <200001191056.DAA21022@aztec.santafe.edu> From: Richard Stallman To: dw2@opencontent.org CC: discuss@opencontent.org, ldp-discuss@lists.debian.org, debian-legal@lists.debian.org, malda@slashdot.org In-reply-to: <38833524.8A0751C4@opencontent.org> (message from David Wiley on Mon, 17 Jan 2000 08:28:36 -0700) Subject: Re: Updating the OpenContent license Reply-to: rms@gnu.org References: <38833524.8A0751C4@opencontent.org> Resent-Message-ID: Resent-From: ldp-discuss@lists.debian.org Precedence: list Resent-Sender: ldp-discuss-request@lists.debian.org The Open Publication License is a reasonable starting point for a license, but the last version I saw had a serious (though not fatal) problem: it has two optional clauses, and if either of these options is invoked, then the license becomes non-free. So if you write something based on the Open Publication License, I hope you will delete these two options. Of course, people who want to use non-free licenses with those clauses will still be able to do so; we cannot stop them. But at least we can avoid suggesting and encouraging the practice. If you're looking for a license in that general category, then the suggestion to use the GNU Free Documentation License makes sense, since it is designed for the same kinds of applications. The GFDL is not yet finished, but the current draft shows what I am trying to do; what remains is to get the details right. Comments are welcome. GNU Free Documentation License Version 1.0 DRAFT 0. PREAMBLE The general idea of copyleft is to use the copyright system to ensure that everyone who possesses a copy or a derivative of a certain work has the effective freedom to copy and redistribute it, with or without modifying it. A copyleft license gives you certain rights, above and beyond the meager rights copyright law allows you. For example, the GNU General Public License is a copyleft license designed for free software. The GNU Project designed this, the GNU Free Documentation License, for use with documentation about free software. Copylefting the documentation for free software is particularly important because free software needs to come with documentation that gives users the same freedoms that the software gives them. However, this License can be used for any textual work, regardless of its subject matter, and regardless of whether it is released in the form of a printed book. For short works which become much larger if this License is added, we recommend simply putting them in the public domain. 1. APPLICABILITY AND DEFINITIONS This License applies to any manual or other work that contains a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it can be distributed under the terms of this License. The "Manual", below, refers to any such manual or work. 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If your manual contains nontrivial examples of program code, we recommend releasing these examples in parallel under your choice of free software license, such as the GNU General Public License, to permit their use in free software. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to ldp-discuss-request@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org