Discussion of all things related to Public Domain

[tom poe <tompoe AT amihost.com>]

On Wed, 2005-05-04 at 01:23, Anatoly Volynets wrote:
- - - SNIP - - -
> I would sugest to unify requirements in all three (and others) passages 
> that "users encouraged to license their works with an Open License<link 
> to a list>."
> 
> There are number of more or less suitable licenses out there:
> Art Libre License, EFF Open Audio License, CC, Public Domain (CC project 
> presents it as one of their licenses), Open Publication License, 
> Authoright, quite probably there are more.
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This is a good suggestion, Anatoly. 
http://www.eff.org/IP/Open_licenses/licenseguide.html is one source for
a listing of licenses.  On some of our pages (not as many as we should
have), is a link to the writings of our esteemed Board Member, Ram
Samudrala, PhD, who offers some truly great insight into licensing and
the Public Domain:
<- - START QUOTE>
The unrestricted distribution model

This is the license/model under which I distribute all the works I
create. This has no restrictions with regards to Section 106 of the
Copyright code (Title 17). Example phrasing:
This work is freely copiable and usable without any copyright
restrictions.
or
This work is in the public domain.
The two phrasings above mean the same in my mind, though "public domain"
has a legal meaning related to copyright law which I wish to avoid, and
so I prefer the former version. (See the exact wording used by TWISTED
HELICES, my band, or even the one used by Zava.) 
</- - END QUOTE>

Which raises the idea challenge that it's time to rethink what we're
doing, and get Alex Heizer's (yes, our distinguished Board Member, Alex)
offer of managing the site, back on the discussion table. 

Well, keep those ideas coming, and thanks to all of you, for your
input.  Should be a busy summer.
Tom