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cc-licenses - "share alike" and GFDL compatibility.

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Subject: Development of Creative Commons licenses

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  • From: Christian Lemay <chris AT chrislemay.ca>
  • To: cc-licenses AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: "share alike" and GFDL compatibility.
  • Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2003 19:58:07 -0700

The "share alike" provision in the plain english text says:

"The licensor permits others to distribute derivative works only under a
license identical to the one that governs the licensor's work."

The word "identical" seems a bit strong to me. Isn't the real issue to
prevent people who make a derivative work from issuing a much more
restrictive form of license (like full copyright)? And if so, wouldn't you
want some kind of license that would allow derivative works to be
distributed under "similar" conditions? For example, it is hard to imagine
that any author of a work distributed under a "BY-SA" license would be upset
to see a derivative work distributed under "BY-NC-SA." Same for the
incorporation of BY-SA content into a GFDL licensed work. But the current
text of the BY-SA license seems to forbid such things. Or am I confused?

If I'm not confused, would it be possible to create a new license or change
the existing "SA" portion to take this into account? Maybe by exhaustively
listing compatible licenses? Or by giving people the option of listing
licenses they feel meet the spirit of "sharing alike"?

Thanks for the great work being done here!

-- Chris Lemay




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