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Re: Library License

 

On Mar 22, 2012, at 1:32 PM, Martin wrote:

> I would highly recommend to avoid any copyright notices at all. Kicad is OpenSource and all contributors working in the best meaning of the OpenSource ideas. Introduction of copyright in any form may have fatal impact to the future of this wonderful software.

GPL works because of copyright.

> Stop this thread, please!

Ostrich Politics is not the solution. Avoiding license problems on libraries may be best tackled with a Creative Commons alike license, but I am not a lawyer.
In fact, if the main developers agree, next time we add a symbol/footprint/part/documentation we could provide it under Creative Commons.

/Martijn 


> 
> Martin
> 
> Dne 22.3.2012 12:38, Opendous Support napsal(a):
>>>>> Footprints are not subject to copyright either.
>>>>> They are not creative: ... they are simple data
>>>>> gathered from JEDEC, IPC and manufacturer sources.
>> 
>>   Copyright is designed to protect the "original expression of ideas,
>> and not the ideas themselves".  For example, if you take a photograph
>> of the insides of your computer you are automatically the Copyright
>> owner of the photograph.  Your original expression is the overexposed
>> and blurry image.  In the same way that JEDEC/IPC/manufacturers own
>> the Copyrights on the datasheets/specifications they produce, you own
>> the specification (schematic and layout files) you produce of your
>> design.
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright#Idea-expression_dichotomy_and_the_merger_doctrine
>> 
>>   Everything but the actual circuit connection ideas can be
>> Copyrighted since "copy[right] covers only the expression of the
>> definition, not the circuit itself".  In other words, someone can redo
>> your work and create something nearly identical and they will be the
>> Copyright owners of that work.
>> http://features.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=1999-06-22-005-05-NW-LF
>> http://www.armisteadtechnologies.com/copy-pcb.shtml
>> http://freedomdefined.org/OSHW
>> 
>>>> I can be wrong, but, anything that's been designed
>>>> by an author, has authorship, and it makes it have copyright.
>> 
>>   That is the most sensible attitude.
>> 
>>> It's not worth worrying about: really.
>> 
>>   Why risk it.  Anything that can lead to FUD from others and dissuade
>> use of KiCad should be avoided.  I would be willing to donate all my
>> library work into the Public Domain under, for example, the Creative
>> Commons Public Domain Dedication:
>> http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
>> 
>>   If the original authors of library elements cannot be contacted
>> simply ask users of the KiCad mailing list to recreate schematic
>> symbols and module footprints.  I'm sure many users would be willing
>> to help out and contribute.  As noted earlier, it is the expression of
>> an idea that is Copyrightable so it is mostly a simple matter of
>> redoing the work.
>> 
>> -Matt
>> 
>> On Thu, Mar 22, 2012 at 4:28 AM, Brian F. G. Bidulock
>> <bidulock@xxxxxxxxxxx>  wrote:
>>> Miguel,
>>> 
>>> On Thu, 22 Mar 2012, Miguel Angel Ajo Pelayo wrote:
>>> 
>>>> I can be wrong, but, anything that's been designed by an author, has
>>>> authorship, and it makes it have copyright.
>>> 
>>> Sorry, it doesn't work that way.
>>> 
>>> --brian
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Brian F. G. Bidulock    ¦ The reasonable man adapts himself to the ¦
>>> bidulock@xxxxxxxxxxx    ¦ world; the unreasonable one persists in  ¦
>>> http://www.openss7.org/ ¦ trying  to adapt the  world  to himself. ¦
>>>                        ¦ Therefore  all  progress  depends on the ¦
>>>                        ¦ unreasonable man. -- George Bernard Shaw ¦
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
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> 
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