Development of Creative Commons licenses

[Ricardo Gladwell <president AT freeroleplay.org>]

Branko Collin wrote:
> On 3 Dec 2004, at 12:05, Ricardo Gladwell wrote:
> > I asked two other, related questions: should there be a new SA CCPL
> > requirement that a modifiable version of a digitial work be provided,
> > and should we further require that such a modifiable version be in an
> > open format? Both requirements would be highly desirable from the
> > perspective of the FRPGC.
>
> Oh? I thought that was your personal opinion?

It is my personal opinion *and* that of the FRPGC and others, obviously. 
But, I don't really see the relevance of whether the above is my 
personal opinion or not? Surely, the questions are still valid 
regardless of who raises them. I don't really see your point here.

> > I would both like to prevent downstream and upstream users from
> > putting work into a proprietary format, specifically because it
> > prohibits re-use by requiring down-stream users purchase expensive
> > software, among other reasons.
>
> There are many copyright lawyers out there who will, for a small fee, 
> draft up the license you desire. Whether that license can be enforced 
> in a court of law is of course a different matter, but if you put 
> some more money in the lawyers hand, I am sure he or she will tell 
> you exactly what you want to hear.

I'm sure I could pay for a lawyer to draft such a license. And I'm sure 
such a license would be enforcable, because several other licenses, 
including the GPL and the FDL, both have similar provisions, so there 
are precedents. And I'm sure lawyers will tell me whatever I want if I 
do pay them enough. Again, what is your point?

I posted on this list specifically because it describes itself as a 
public forum for the discussion of CC licenses "including possible 
improvements to them". I would like to see the CCPL make these changes 
and I politely introduced my ideas and questions here. Others on this 
list seem quite receptive to some of my ideas. Is the mere suggestion 
that the CCPL change in the above ways really so intolerable?

> As to whether the CC license you were looking at already contains the 
> provision you are after, I think that this far into the discussion we 
> can safely assume that that is a matter of opinion. 

I don't really see how this is a matter of opinion? Either the license 
does cover this or not and I posted here to find that out. So far, 
no-one has actually addressed the above question and, if you had 
followed the discussion, you would realise

> You pays your money and you takes your chances.

Wow, thanks, that's really helpful. Are you normally this welcoming and 
open-minded to all new posters on this list or have you just singled me 
out because you really, really like my ideas?

On another note, I'd actually be quite interested to hear your 
objections to the above and responses to my posts.

Kind regards...

--
Ricardo Gladwell
President, Free Roleplaying Community
http://www.freeroleplay.org/
president AT freeroleplay.org