[cc-community] Attribution to a site, or to the individual contributors

Rob Myers rob at robmyers.org
Sun Apr 27 07:35:55 EDT 2008


Chris Watkins wrote:
> In the CC article I wrote:
> 
> "Licenses for a site may give attribution to the site, rather than to 
> the individual contributors.... The Wikinews Licensure Poll 
> <http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikinews-l/2005-September/000329.html>." 
> 
> 
> However, I mentioned that concept to Prof Graham Greenleaf of UNSW, and 
> he was skeptical. Is it possible to give attribution to a site?

In CC attribution licences, contributors can request that attribution be 
given to an organization as well as or in stead of themselves.

BY 4.b again:

"You must, [...] provide, reasonable to the medium or means You are 
utilizing: (i) the name of the Original Author (or pseudonym, if 
applicable) if supplied, and/or if the Original Author and/or Licensor 
designate another party or parties (e.g., a sponsor institute, 
publishing entity, journal) for attribution ("Attribution Parties") in 
Licensor's copyright notice, terms of service or by other reasonable 
means, the name of such party or parties;"

Notice the and/or-s. Taken as or-s, the author can specify Wikinews 
rather than themselves as the entity that will receive attribution.

I don't think an organization could bind downstream users *not* to 
attribute themselves using this. They could refuse contributions that 
self-attribute though.

I am not a lawyer, this is not legal advice.

- Rob.


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