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  • From: Norman Megill <ndm AT shore.net>
  • To: cc-licenses AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Public Domain Dedication
  • Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 11:34:51 -0400

While the "Public Domain Dedication" at
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/ seems reasonable, I
created my own version which you can see at the bottom of my page
http://us.metamath.org/symbols/symbols.html . Although I think it is OK
as it is, I welcome comments.

I provide the md5 sum of my public domain file archive. While this may
seem nitpicky, it allows the work to be identified unambigously,
eliminating the possibility of accidentally using a modified version of
that file that someone else has copyrighted. This is one of the dangers
of public domain - for example, a photograph of a public-domain painting
can be copyrighted, even though it may be visually indistinguishable
from another one that has been released to public domain.

Also, I explicitly mention some of the things that can be done with a
public domain work to educate the reader. I see many misguided
pronouncements making things "public domain" with restrictions attached
- for example, "public domain as long as you keep any derivative work
public domain", "public domain but you must acknowledge me as the
author", or "public domain for educational use". These are really
copyright licenses, which is fine if that's what the authors want, but
they misunderstand the term "public domain".

What is my personal motivation for making something public domain? For
me there is a certain kind of satisfaction I get from old books and
images with expired copyright, in that I am completely unencumbered to
do whatever I wish with them, without any concern about possible
consequences of copying, quoting, sharing, building on, or otherwise
using the words, images, and ideas contained therein. I don't have to
obsess with keeping track of and chasing down credits and permissions
for every little piece of every little image that I might use.

Because I like the feeling of this kind of complete freedom, it is my
desire that others experience it with respect to certain work of my own.
If by my example some other people are encouraged to do the same, that
would benefit me.

Public domain can also make things more practical. Since it can be so
time-consuming to track down the copyrights for all the images you want
to use on a web page, that often it is more efficient just to reinvent
the wheel, taking your own photos of the same thing and redrawing your
own versions of the same figures. Royalty-free collections can satisfy
the need to a certain extent, but you still have to be careful to
understand the licensing terms when using them - for example, do they
allow your final work, and therefore any of their images contained in
it, to be released to public domain if some day you should decide to do
so?

In the end, under public domain I accept that someone may "steal" my
work and call it their own. But honorable people give credit where
credit makes sense, and for me life is too short to give a hoot about
the others. So far it has not been a problem; instead, people have
thanked me for making it public domain, and that makes me feel good.

Norm




  • Public Domain Dedication, Norman Megill, 09/16/2003

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