[wp-docs] Codex Copyright

[Ryan Boren]

On Wed, 2005-06-22 at 14:34 +0100, Podz wrote:
> http://codex.wordpress.org/Copyright_Holders
> That page lists those that have made contributions to the WP code.
> 
> I feel very strongly that there should be a page for all CODEX 
> contributors. Right now, it says that "All content at this website 
> (Codex) is provided for use under the terms of the GNU General Public 
> License". Says who ?

There should be one license for the entire body of work.  That license
is the GPL.  If someone does not agree with that they shouldn't
contribute to codex.  The same as with the WP source.

> If the WP code is important enough to have it's contributors listed, 
> then surely Codex is no less deserving ?

Sure.  Such a list can be generated from the changes list.  Since
everyone is making changes under their own user name,  attribution is
tracked by the wiki.  Due to the wiki, we have better attribution
tracking for documentation than we do for the WP source.

> We do not know what the future holds, but everyone who has taken time to 
> help has given their time freely and that needs protecting but with 
> their name on it. Surely those people who have contributed OWN that GPL 
> in the same way as the coders ?

No copyright assignment is required, so everyone retains rights to their
contributions.  Contributors retain copyright to their changes and agree
to license them under the GPL by putting those changes on codex.  This
is the same as with someone who gives us a patch for the source tree.

You must be careful with attribution under the GPL.  Distributors of a
GPLed product cannot remove copyright headers, but they are not required
to keep vanity links.  Requiring vanity links and advertising clauses is
a violation of the GPL and every other OSI (Open Source) approved
software license.

IANAL.

Ryan