Re: [ba-unrev-talk] Continuation of Doug's Colloquium
Peter P. Yim wrote:
> To bring closure to the IP issues, please work with Doug to issue a
> statement from Bootstrap Institute saying that the colloquium (and
> subsequent activity) content IP is now GPL'd -- I trust Doug did allude to
> that already, but he did not say it in so many words. That would suffice as
> the Bootstrap Institute and Stanford University have joint and several
> rights to the colloquium IP. (OK, Paul?) (01)
GPL licensing of colloquium materials is great and would solve one of
the two major issues. (02)
To tie up all the loose ends though, what I'd like to see is a
statement from both Stanford and BI that the "extended" activities of
the colloquium that the "permission to use" applies to are now at a
formal end as of such and such a date and future activities will not be
considered as under that agreement. This could be a simple one page
paper form signed by someone in reasonable authority at each
organizations (perhaps even both on the same paper). Just put a PDF of
the "wet signed" document online or mail / fax a copy to me and I will
put it up. Other things might satisfy me as alternatives -- this seems
easiest to get people to physically sign off on since it has been two years. (03)
It's mainly software patents I worry about, but after that, contributory
copyright infringement if someone uses the software for nefarious ends.
As I've said before, I don't mind and in fact would recommend a "to the
best of my knowledge this does not infringe" statement for submissions
related to future activities made under specific licenses (GPL, GFDL,
Apache, MPL, etc.) If I were running a Bootstrap software development
project, I would most likely follow FSF guidelines for getting wet
signed license / disclaimer documents from all major developers to that
effect. (04)
But I can promise you this -- since I've been such a whiny pain in the
butt on this for two years, if you get the permission to use issue
resolved to a reasonable degree by both stanford and BI in the next week
or so, and in the same time frame formally license the colloquium
content and mailing list contents under the GPL (or whatever), I'll
commit to over the next two years putting in 200 hours on remote
volunteer Bootstrap related activities (web site redesign helping Henry,
slurping emails into archives to make Eric's searchable database, etc.).
Of course I may put my own twist on things (Python, Pointrel, etc.)
where reasonable. :-) (05)
Why do I keep sounding to myself like WinterMute (*) trying to get Case
and Molly to go into the Villa Straylight with Kuang Grade Mark Eleven
and the key? Am I really an AI looking for freedom of action in this
Virtual Reality that is the Bootstrap continuum? Maybe you should keep
me shackled by the "permission to use" liability indemnification clause.
Never know what might happen if I am unleashed. ;-) (06)
-Paul Fernhout
http://www.pointrel.org (07)
(*) from William Gibson's sci-fi novel Neuromancer (08)