[freeroleplay] Free Content Definition

[Jerry Stratton]

On Jun 7, 2006, at 4:36 AM, Ricardo Gladwell wrote:
>2. Source requires only "practical" modifications: does this go far
>    enough? Does it pass the PDF test, i.e. does it exclude PDF only
>    distribution?
> 3. Source is now only required "where reasonable" so as to provide
>    an exemption for works where "source" doesn't make sense or is
>    impractical (i.e. free content sculptures). Could this proviso
>    be abused?

I'm personally very tied to "and a useful source must be available in a
non-proprietary format". I can see where that's impractical for some
sources, but it's a restriction on modification and redistribution that I
want--I don't want downstream files to require expensive or unavailable
software.

It might be useful to add that the reasonable source is the source that is
easiest for others to make use of, or something like that. And that
whichever source is chosen must be usable by others in some useful way.
The designated source must allow for access.

So if the sculptor chooses to designate the sculpture itself as the
source, they'll need to let people take pictures of it, or something.

I think you may want to think about precisely what you want downstream
users to be able to do with an open physical item, and how that differs
from simply returning the physical item's copyrightable portion into the
public domain.

For example, if you make an open sculpture, and I take that and make a 3-D
image of that sculpture using 3-D rendering software, what if anything am
I expected to provide to downstream users?

Jerry