Re: [wp-docs] The point about Copyright

[tg at tannagh.com]

Seriously Podz, tell us what you *really* feel. ;)
Back to that in a sec:

Jenna - "the voices that actually matter are those people that have
contributed" - as the authors of the content (what ever part they have
contributed) they are the inherent copyright holders of said content.
As such, *they* are the ones who should be able to dictate what happens
to that content. Unless they explicity release it, someone else cannot
come along and publish it as thier own work. Well, they aren't supposed
to at any rate. The problem lies in the ambiguity of the ownership of
Codex content. It isn't clear what rights the authors have.


Podz <podz at tamba2.org.uk> wrote on 09/22/2005, 02:14:40 PM:
> 
> 1. This is nothing to do with me or my contributions.
Actualy, it has everything to do with you and your contributions, just
as it has everything to do with me and my contributions. That's the
point of this isn't it?


> 
> 2. This is everything to do with protecting the copyrights that belong 
> to each and every contributor.
Which I'll admit, I never thought about until it was brought up. How
many others out there are in the same boat? And what to do about those
that have come and gone over time?


> 
> 3. Right now, all that's rattled out - by people who have not given 
> largely to Codex - is the phrase "It's GPL". The people who actually 
> have done the work are not being consulted about their copyright. 
> Doesn't that strike you as odd ?
When I make a posting to a forum, to which includes code, that post
becomes property of the forum owners. In fact, I know of one site
(owned by a major conglomerate) that even specifies right in their
Acceptable USe Policy that by posting, you transfer ownership of
content and copyright to the company. And that they can do what ever
they want with it, w/o compensation to you. In all honesty, I had
(mistakenly it seems) assumed the same kind of deal here. I had just
assumed that ownership was inherently transfered. Guess not.


> 
> 4. This is about taking action now so that the work is protected. From
> http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-violation.html -"be sure to find out who 
> the copyright holders of the software are before reporting a violation." 
> and yet when I start to create a page of all the copyright holders, I 
> get told it is a waste of time. Please do explain WHY that is a waste of 
> time given that it would be needed.
My only thought on this is the content that has multiple authors.
Example, Podz, you come in and add a bunch of stuff to a page, then I
come in and make some changes. Who owns it now? Me, or you?


> 
> 5. The Codex still does not say that copyright is retained by the 
> author. It does not say what rights the author may or may not have. It 
> does not say who may or may not make any judgements about copyright, 
> publishing, income generation etc. Don't you think it should ? It 
> doesn't matter one bit that YOU might know - it should be there in clear 
> language for all to see and understand before they start typing
I agree.

> 
> 6. This is not about fame and reward AT ALL. My contributions to Codex 
> are way way less than a great many people, but that does not diminish 
> the fact that I have the right to express what I want on this issue nor 
> does it stop me looking at the bigger picture and wondering just what is 
> going on. that is not a conspiracy theory, merely that right now this 
> situation is just begging to be exploited given the condition it is in.
It's all about closing the barn doors before the horse gets out.


> 
> 7. If this thread were about code in the Hackers list I'd be able to 
> feel the heat from here.
> 
> 8. It's a mess. It needs sorting out and the voices that actually matter 
> are those people that have contributed - and surely everyone is equal 
> there ? Or are we ? And if we are not, just say so.
I'd say we're all equal... 
And I'd like to know what's up too.

-tg

> 
> P.
> _______________________________________________
> wp-docs mailing list
> wp-docs at lists.automattic.com
> http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-docs