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Re: [SDL] Proposed wiki license

My suggestions are inline. To me, this looks like it is intended as a free license. It may not pass the "tentacles of evil" test since it is not precisely worded, but a statement by the copyright holder that the free interpretation applies is sufficent to cover this issue. 

On Wed, Aug 18, 2004 at 12:26:08PM -0500, Bob Pendleton wrote:



I am proposing that we use the following as the license for the wiki.
Please comment. Even comments on spelling and grammar will be
appreciated. 
IANAL and this has not been read or approved by a lawyer. But, I hope it
expresses a view of how the documentation should be treated that we can
all agree on.

SDL Wiki License

By posting on the SDL Documentation Wiki you are granting everyone
everywhere and for all time a license to do the following with your
posted material:

1.The freedom to read the text, for any purpose.
s/text/work/g (so that this license could apply to, for example, an icon posted to the Wiki) if you want to make this license more general. 



2.The freedom to make copies, for any purpose, so long as the copies are
granted the same freedoms as the original version.
Copies are inanimate objects. It is the recipient of the copy that needs freedoms. 



3.The freedom to study how the text is written, and adapt it to their
needs. 
4.The Freedom to reformat the posted material into a preferred format or
medium (converting to braille, or speech, or hard copy, or postscript,
etc) for use with any type of device or technology. 
5.The freedom to redistribute copies, including modified versions, so
long as the copies are granted the same freedoms as the version.


(Again, "so long as the recipient of the copies are granted...")



6.The freedom to improve the text, and release your improvements  to the
public, so that the whole community benefits, so long as the modified
versions are granted the same freedoms as the original version.


s/improve/modify/ and s/improvements/modifications or modified versions/

Free software requires the freedom to make non-improving modifications.



7.Freedom to translate the text into any other language, so long as the
translated versions are granted the same freedoms as the original. 
8.The freedom to keep your modifications of a personal copy, or even
your possession of a copy of the text, confidential.
You might want to s/The [Ff]reedom to/You may/g just so that it is clear that this is a grant of permission.
However, if you do this, clause 1 grants permission to something that is not restricted/controlled by copyright. This can be avoided by "You may read the work for any purpose. This permission is granted to the extent that reading is limited by copyright." 

--Joe
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