[Live-demo] Liberal licensing of Project Overviews in LiveDVD, do we want this?

[Simon Cropper]

On 30/06/11 11:49, Alex Mandel wrote:
> is it clear to companies that want to include such
> documents that they are indeed welcome to so long as they don't actually
> modify them (If they do modify them then CC-BY-SA kicks in as it's an
> adaptation/derivative not a collection)

The best way to flag this is to ensure every page and every document has 
all pertinent copyright details included. At present copyright is 
assigned to LISASoft and OSGeo Foundation, which in my mind is not 
correct. Nowhere on the website does it say CC-BY or CC-BY-SA, it should.

People will always plagiarise and run the gauntlet. All authors can do 
is make their rights apparent and hope that companies respect these.

I would hope that if OSGeo products are clearly marked with copyright 
details we will help eliminate the ambiguity rather than increase the 
confusion.

But...

Back to the question? Is this appropriate use of community-prepared 
documentation?

I am not sure but you may have prepared the PostGIS Project Overview. 
Lets say you did. What if you worked for a UNI and they asked you to get 
a quotation, which included a design document, for the development of a 
university wide spatial database. How would it be viewed or how would 
you view it if the document pulled together and rebadged public 
documents some of which have been prepared by you?

If reproduced in their entirety as per CC-BY-SA I presume that you would 
not be phased. If however an entire section existed with your words or 
your images and you are only mentioned in the acknowledgements or 
credits at the back of the submission, you may not be so happy.

I suppose the other issue is philosophical...

Do we release documents so they can be developed and improved or do we 
release documents so they can be cut-and-paste by others to booster 
their own work?

-- 
Cheers Simon

    Simon Cropper
    Principal Consultant
    Botanicus Australia Pty Ltd
    PO Box 160, Sunshine, VIC
    W: www.botanicusaustralia.com.au