Development of Creative Commons licenses

[Lorenzo De Tomasi <lorenzo.detomasi AT libero.it>]

Talking with some friends we have noticed that it's not clear what is what
and what are the differences between 'Attribution', 'Attribution-ShareAlike'
and 'Attribution-NoDerivs' licenses.
In particular by the names no one can understand if 'Attribution' is
identical to 'Attribution-NoDerivs' or to 'Attribution-ShareAlike' or if
they are different from each other.

If I read the names 'Attribution' and 'Attribution-NoDerivs', it seems to me
that 'Attribution' permits derived copies and that 'Attribution-NoDerivs'
doesn't permits derived copies.
But if you read the description it seems that 'Attribution' doesn't permit
derived copies ("The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display,
and perform the work.") -> It doesn't talk about modify/derive; so it seems
that 'Attribution' and 'Attribution-NoDerivs' are the same license and so
why are they 2 and not one?
If they have the same effects I suggest you to delete the 'Attribution'
license and leave only the 'Attribution-NoDerivs'.

ATTENTION!: probably you have made a mistake writing
"The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display, and perform the
work." 
in spite of 
"The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display, perform the
original work and distribute derivative works."

!!! Obviously there are the same problems of communication with
'NonCommercial' and 'Attribution-NonCommercial' Licenses.


From now let's call 'Attribution-Derivs' the license that permits derived
copies; If I make a modified copy of a work under 'Attribution-Derivs'
license I have to give credit to the author, but how can I give this credit?
Is there a legal text? Can you suggest it?
Is 'Attribution-Derivs' license applied only to the 'first level' derived
work? What have I to do if I modify a work already modified from a work
under 'Attribution-Derivs' license? Have I not to give credit to the first
author?

Is there a difference between 'Attribution-Derivs' and
'Attribution-ShareAlike' license? What have I to do if I modify a work (2)
already modified from a work (1) under 'Attribution-ShareAlike' license?
Have I to give credit to the author of work (1)?

If I have found a  real problems, my suggestion is to modify the list as
follows:
____________________________________________________________________________
NoDerivs:
- The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display and perform only
unaltered copies of the original work -- not derivative works based on it.
____________________________________________________________________________
NoDerivs-Attribution:
- The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display, and perform only
unaltered copies of the original work -- not derivative works based on it.
- In return, licensees must give the original author credit.
____________________________________________________________________________
NoDerivs-NonCommercial
- The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display, and perform only
unaltered copies of the original work -- not derivative works based on it.
- In return, licensees may not use the work for commercial purposes --
unless they get the licensor's permission.
____________________________________________________________________________
NoDerivs-Attribution-NonCommercial:
- The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display, and perform only
unaltered copies of the original work -- not derivative works based on it.
- In return, licensees must give the original author credit.
- In return, licensees may not use the work for commercial purposes --
unless they get the licensor's permission.
____________________________________________________________________________
Derivs-Attribution:
- The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display, perform the
original work and distribute derivative works.
- In return, licensees must give credit to the author (only to the author of
the last modified work)
____________________________________________________________________________
ShareAlike:
- The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display, perform the
original work and distribute derivative works without limitations.
- The licensor permits others to distribute derivative works under a license
identical to the one that governs the licensor's work.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Is this license equivalent to Gpl? If yes I suggest to create and put a logo
to specify this.
Which licenses are compatible with Gpl? which with Opensource? I suggest to
create and add a logo also for Opensource compatible licenses.
____________________________________________________________________________
Derivs-Attribution-ShareAlike:
- The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display, perform the
original work and distribute derivative works.
- In return, licensees must give credit to all the previous authors.
- The licensor permits others to distribute derivative works under a license
identical to the one that governs the licensor's work.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
At the end in the work there will be a chronological list of the people who
has contributed to the final modified version of the original work. The list
can be a sort of bibliography, like:

copyright 2003 by Lorenzo De Tomasi
This work has been made modifying the original work of Richard Stallman
(2002), Lawrence Lessig (2003).
____________________________________________________________________________
Derivs-NonCommercial
- The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display, perform the
original work and distribute derivative works.
- In return, licensees may not use the original work (and derived works) for
commercial purposes -- unless they get the licensor's permission.
____________________________________________________________________________
Derivs-NonCommercial-ShareAlike:
- The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display, perform the
original work and distribute derivative works.
- In return, licensees may not use the original work (and derived works) for
commercial purposes -- unless they get the licensor's permission.
- The licensor permits others to distribute derivative works under a license
identical to the one that governs the licensor's work.
____________________________________________________________________________
Derivs-Attribution-NonCommercial:
- The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display, perform the
original work and distribute derivative works.
- In return, licensees must give credit to the author (only to the author of
the last modified work).
- In return, licensees may not use the work for commercial purposes --
unless they get the licensor's permission.
____________________________________________________________________________
Derivs-Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike:
- The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display, perform the
original work and distribute derivative works.
- In return, licensees must give credit to all the previous authors.
- In return, licensees may not use the original work (and derived works) for
commercial purposes -- unless they get the licensor's permission.
- The licensor permits others to distribute derivative works under a license
identical to the one that governs the licensor's work.
____________________________________________________________________________
I think that this modified version is clearer where the old text could raise
doubts. I hope you like it.
The only doubt that remains is the difference between
Derivs-Attribution and Derivs-Attribution-ShareAlike
and between
Derivs-NonCommercial and Derivs-NonCommercial-ShareAlike.
What the PRACTICAL differences are? Have they the same effect? Is it better
to delete non-ShareAlike versions?

Thank you for your attention.
____________________________________________________________________________
Lorenzo De Tomasi, student of Information Architecture, Interface Design and
Visual Design
via Bellaria 6, 21018 Sesto Calende (Varese), Italia
phone: +39 (0)331 924649
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e-mail: lorenzo.detomasi AT libero.it; lorenzo.detomasi AT email.it
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