Re: NEC Licence (Work of US Gov. Employees)

[John Hasler <john@dhh.gt.org>]

Raul writes:
> It ["relicensing"] doesn't mean much if you don't put original content
> into your derived copy, but there's nothing that prevents multiple
> licenses.

It doen't mean anything.  The original work retains its original license
while whatever you added to create the derivative gets whatever license you
choose to apply to it.  Nothing gets relicensed.

> There's plenty of examples where a public domain work was relicensed and
> sold for a lot of money.

And those who paid that money can extract the PD work and distribute copies
with impunity no matter how the seller "relicensed" it.

I can copy Hume's words out of my copy of _Dialogues Concerning Natural
Religion_ and start selling copies and there is nothing Thomas Nelson and
Sons, Ltd. can do about it.  Hume's words remain in the public domain no
matter what the title page says.
-- 
John Hasler                This posting is in the public domain.
john@dhh.gt.org            Do with it what you will.
Dancing Horse Hill         Make money from it if you can; I don't mind.
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