Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

cc-licenses - Re: [cc-licenses] Subject: Re: Version 3.0 - List Discussion Responses

cc-licenses AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Development of Creative Commons licenses

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Mia Garlick <mia AT creativecommons.org>
  • To: Discussion on the Creative Commons license drafts <cc-licenses AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [cc-licenses] Subject: Re: Version 3.0 - List Discussion Responses
  • Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 13:13:32 -0700


On Sep 30, 2006, at 12:59 PM, Rob Myers wrote:
<cut>


I believe that Debian are objecting to two related issues:

- DRM cannot be added to CC licensed work for private use.
- CC licensed work cannot be distributed with DRM added.

The first point is a breach of both the DFSG and the FSD. More
importantly it is a breach of Fair Use. It is therefore unacceptable
both for Free Software and more importantly for Free Culture.


in relation to the first point, please see line 6 on page 2 of the comments posted to the list back on September 8: http:// lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/cc-licenses/2006-September/004027.html


The CC-NC-SA v3 draft (like its predecessors) has a Fair Use statement
but its DRM restrictions appear to clash with this for personal use, so
the license should be regularised. Looking at clause 4a I think that if
CC change "impose any technological measures on the work" to "distribute
the work with any technological measures imposed" then we have a clear
equivalent to the GPL.

If I have misunderstood the license and this is already the case then I
apologise profusely.

The second point is not a breach of the FSD, and is not a breach of Fair
Use IMHO (the use is not personal and is competitive). I also believe
that it is not a breach of the DFSG, but *even if it was* this would not
be a primary issue for a Free Culture license rather than a Free
Software one.

So, if you released a song under the GPLv3, instead of CC-By-SA-3, you
still can't port it to a DRM-only platform. The reason is that you
cannot
provide "Corresponding Source" for it, which would be the non-DRM
song, plus the DRM key so that it can be DRM'd for the platform. The
GPL says that if you can't distribute the source, you can't distribute
the binary.

The explanation is a little different, but the result is the same: both
GPLv3 and CC-By-SA-3 would block the kind of distribution Debian
is asking for (at least in Greg London's example case).

I have explained above how I believe CC-3 goes further.

Greg's example case is the current standard use of DRM. This is how
current music stores, music players, game consoles and handhelds all use
it.

All the hardware for these systems will currently play non-DRM media
though. So it is only when we wish to volunteer to take on the problems
of proprietary game software developers that there is a problem.

One solution for CC and Debian, based on the Scottish license
language that MJ Ray has mentioned, would be for CC to allow only
ineffective DRM to be applied. This would be DRM where blanket
permission to circumvent has been given *by the DRM vendor*, as is
included in the GPL-3.

But I think Greg has a point: anyone who's going to provide that could
more easily just let non-DRM'd media play on the platform, leaving no
reason to allow DRM at all.

I agree. But if people wish to use Free Software on DRM platforms, this
would allow them to do so under GPL-3. This would answer Evan's argument
that the licenses prevent work form being used by Free Software on DRM
systems.

If they still find the second draft incompatible with the DFSG they
are confusing "use" with "distribution" in the same way that the
Linux Kernel Hackers are.

That's a strong assertion (that the Linux Kernel Hackers are indeed
misunderstanding). I'm not sure Eben Moglen understands the full
impact of the new wording in the GPLv3. It's too new.

You are correct and I apologise for this comment.

- Rob.
_______________________________________________
cc-licenses mailing list
cc-licenses AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/cc-licenses





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page