[cc-community] Use cases for cc by-sa compatibility with GPL

Rob Myers rob at robmyers.org
Sun Jan 22 08:21:06 EST 2012


On 22/01/12 00:33, Ben Finney wrote:
> drew Roberts <zotz at 100jamz.com> writes:
> 
>> what if I, a sculptor, took a block of wood down to the local park
>> where you, another sculptor, had just installed your latest sculpted
>> stone masterpiece with the little brass plaque with your BY-SA license
>> details. So there I am in the park with my block of wood and I copy
>> your stone sculpture using my block of wood.
> 
> What is it that you have copied? The stone? No. You have copied the
> creative work (and, by the nature of carving a sculture, made a modified
> copy or “derived work”).
> 
>> I would say it is clear that your stone sculpture is the source of my
>> wooden one.
> 
> I would not say that. You seem to mean “your stone sculpture is the
> inspiration for my wooden one”. That's not what the GPL means by
> “source”.

Yes the "source of inspiration" for an artwork is not similar to the
"source code" for a binary executable. Rather the "score" for a work is.

Where there is not a score, and particularly for "autographic" unique
original physical works, the work is its own source. Like for shell scripts.

> Rather, the question the GPL raises about a work is: what is the
> “preferred form of the work for making modifications to it”. For a
> carved sculpture, it's clear to me that the sculpture itself is the
> preferred form for making modifications, and that would thereby be the
> source form of the work.

Yes. And since we distribute and modify copies, this means that being
able to copy the original is sufficient. It is its own source and
"transparent" version.

- Rob.


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