[Bf-docboard] Blender Manual: License

[Ton Roosendaal]

Hi,

Since 2002 we always choose to use a permissive license for docs, similar to CC-BY (or some other version of the "Open Content License". This permissive license makes it possible for others o use portions of our work in commercial products (books especially, publishers won't accept "SA" or copyleft).

But! I noticed that someone added a default footer "this manual is CC0" on every page. I don't think that this is correct, especially not since not every author has agreed on this (older docs, screenshots, artwork). CC-BY 4.0 is much closer to the original open content license, especially because it more explicitly protects an author's name being abused.

I cannot find a discussion or decision on making everything CC0 on this list. Were all authors contacted first? Was there an announcement I missed?

Tobias further brings up a couple of very confusing issues. Licensing is a horrible complex topic. Let's not confuse everyone even more...

> "Keep in mind that you cannot waive rights to a work that you do not own unless you have permission from the owner."

The Creative Commons FAQ also explicitly states that you can make derivative works from others (work in Public Domain or copyrighted works) and apply the CC (0 BY SA etc) on the portion you created, provided you clearly notify this.

There are lot of examples of this. Like someone modeling a Starwars ship and releasing it as CC0. The portion you did (the 3d model) is CC0, but the design itself (Millennium Falcon or so) is copyrighted. Or making a picture of Mickey Mouse in disney land. Photo can be licensed as CC0, but the characters you picture are not.
Same goes for personality rights, privacy and brands. A photo of myself licensed as CC0 doesn't mean I become CC0 myself. :)

Conclusion: we need to reword our license description: "The contents of this page is CC (0, BY, whatever), unless indicated otherwise. Excluded from the CC are also the used logos, trademarks, icons, source code and python scripts".

> And this has a moral dimension, because I see it as a human right that the creator is the owner of her unique work

As an owner of your work you can decide to share it. You can do it in many ways, including as CC0. Let's not value such decisions as more or less moral. We just should try to agree on common shared interest.

> (...) The millionaire can then add his signature in the corner and announce publicly to be greatest painter ever lived.

That's quite absurd. The right to be named and mentioned as artist or creator (moral rights) is not optional and heavily protected by law in nearly every country. Check the CC0 FAQ from the commons here:

https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/CC0_FAQ

I hope we can avoid lengthy discussions on own interpretations on copyrights and quickly settle on the proper license to choose. And that decision we *first* need to get the current active contributors agree.

-Ton-

--------------------------------------------------------
Ton Roosendaal  -  ton at blender.org   -   www.blender.org
Chairman Blender Foundation, Producer Blender Institute/Studio
Entrepotdok 57A  -  1018AD Amsterdam  -  The Netherlands

> On 08 Apr 2016, at 20:14, Tobias Heinke <heinke.tobias at t-online.de> wrote:
> 
> Hi everybody,
> 
> I propose to remove CC0 mark and to upgrade to CC BY-SA. It changes that a text passage has to be cited as a internet reference: 
> 
>     "Blender documentation project, date, Blender manual 2.77, link" 
> 
> We can define a standard by a "How to cite this manual" page in the about section.
> The author could be the "Blender documentation project" collective. In theory someone can find out who is and was included in it.
> And it makes citation possible in the manual and in that way follow the scientific standard. 
> 
> "Keep in mind that you cannot waive rights to a work that you do not own unless you have permission from the owner."
>     creative commons, 2016, CC0, https://creativecommons.org/choose/zero/?lang=en
> 
> This manual includes a lot of work with a license not compatible with CC0.
> Work of researchers, programmers, publishers and also Blender itself!
> GNU GPL is not compatible, because it's based on mentioning of the authors name.
> 
>     a list of licenses compatible with BY-SA; https://creativecommons.org/compatiblelicenses/
>     more info on compatibility: https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/ShareAlike_compatibility
> 
> i.e. the Blender icons - made by Andrzej Ambroż - featured in most of the UI screenshots.
> Of cause submitting work to Blender implicating that it can be used in the manual. 
> 
> And this has a moral dimension, because I see it as a human right that the creator is the owner of her unique work 
> and is not allowed to waive of ownership (- that's why I'm passionate about that).
> If the beneficiary is a person or a incorporation it's obvious why it is evil.  
>     i.e. A millionaire can pay Picasso to draw him a painting licensed under CC0. 
>     The millionaire can then add his signature in the corner and announce publicly to be greatest painter ever lived.
> But if the public is the beneficiary no one gets hurt - right?
> 
> CC0 is also limited by the legal framework the creator is operating in, making this fuzzy. 
> i.e. the controversy between the german rights of use and copyright.
> There's the a difference between a tool (some parts of software) and an unique artwork (manual = literature).
> As literature copyright is applied making CC0 void by law. (I'm not a lawyer, so I can't proof this opinion)
> 
> The question is, has these change an impact on other part of Blender?
> Shipping the manual with the software as a bundle? - as I remember Ton said on a BlenCon.
> But even if - We don't have a choice, but to upgrade!
> 
> Yours sincerely,
> 
> Tobias 
> 
> 
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