[OSGeo-Edu] Free and open source your documentation efforts

Frank Warmerdam warmerdam at pobox.com
Mon Oct 9 13:29:59 EDT 2006


Matthew Perry wrote:
> There is the subtle distinction between "commerical" and "proprietary"
> to consider. But if we apply the same logic to documentation, a
> gpl-like license would require that any product which incorporates
> these docs be released as "free documentation"?
> 
> Any thoughts?

Matthew,

I would agree that a GPL-like license that required any directly derived
documentation to also be released freely would be quite reasonable.  So,
for instance CCGIS could improve and present courses based on such an
approach, though they in turn would have to offer the modified version
for free use by others.

This would not prevent someone from writing a book based on the free
documentation, but the text of the book (at least perhaps the chapters
based on the originally free documentation) would have to be made available
for free reuse.

Best regards,
-- 
---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | President OSGeo, http://osgeo.org





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