License, copyright or public domain?

[tompe]

It seems that information about works uploaded here with regard aout how you can use them is missing. Shouldn't it be stated if someting is distributed under copyright or not or if it is in the public domain?

But more seriously. I checked Cory Doctorows "Scroogled" (by Cary Doctorow according to the index) and it is distributed under Share Alike by Doctorow. But the copy here does not contain that information.

According to

http://craphound.com/scroogled.html

• Share Alike. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the
resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one.

• For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work.

The best way to do this is with a link to this web page.
• Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.

Or was this work distributed in a transformed state without the license information with the permission of Doctorow?

[JSWolf]

If you notice, on Cory Doctorow's site you'll see one of the books is in LRF which I did the conversion for. So obviously, I did it right for it to be accepted.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you notice, on Cory Doctorow's site you'll see one of the books is in LRF which I did the conversion for. So obviously, I did it right for it to be accepted.

But I am sure that his web page tells you under what license the item is distributed. If you get the book from here it it not clear which license is used. And I think that is a bad thing since it stops the redistribution that is allowed under the Share Alike.

[rlauzon]

Originally Posted by tompe

It seems that information about works uploaded here with regard aout how you can use them is missing. Shouldn't it be stated if someting is distributed under copyright or not or if it is in the public domain?

The way I understand copyright today is that the simple act of writing something down puts it under copyright. Yes, that means your grocery list is copyrighted as soon as you write it down.

So by default, it's under copyright. You don't need the "Copyright (c) 2007" in the document.

Originally Posted by tompe

But more seriously. I checked Cory Doctorows "Scroogled" (by Cary Doctorow according to the index) and it is distributed under Share Alike by Doctorow. But the copy here does not contain that information.

Hmmm... Reading the license at link you provided, it says:
"If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one. "
So it would seem that the copy here would need to also have this license in it.

I would assume that it would be in the same place (i.e. at the bottom).

[tompe]

Originally Posted by rlauzon

The way I understand copyright today is that the simple act of writing something down puts it under copyright. Yes, that means your grocery list is copyrighted as soon as you write it down.

So by default, it's under copyright. You don't need the "Copyright (c) 2007" in the document.

Yes, but maybe the intention was to put the work in public domain but since there is no tradition to say if the public domain book you are distributing here with you enhancement is copyrighted by you or in the public domain this information is missing.

Hmmm... Reading the license at link you provided, it says:
"If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one. "
So it would seem that the copy here would need to also have this license in it.

I would assume that it would be in the same place (i.e. at the bottom).

That is my understanding also. A link in the posting containing the book is probably enough but I think it is better to have the link or the information in the book.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tompe

Yes, but maybe the intention was to put the work in public domain but since there is no tradition to say if the public domain book you are distributing here with you enhancement is copyrighted by you or in the public domain this information is missing.

Don't mistake public domain with Creative Commons. Public Domain are works which no longer have a valid copyright. Creative Commons (as used by Cory Dcotorow) gives me the right to download, format shift, and distribute. But in no way am I allowed to make any money on the work. That would be a violation of the license and copyright. With a PD work, I can allowed to take the work and reformat it how I want and I can even go and sell it.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Don't mistake public domain with Creative Commons. Public Domain are works which no longer have a valid copyright. Creative Commons (as used by Cory Dcotorow) gives me the right to download, format shift, and distribute. But in no way am I allowed to make any money on the work. That would be a violation of the license and copyright. With a PD work, I can allowed to take the work and reformat it how I want and I can even go and sell it.

I am not confusing anything. I know the difference.

Regarding the CC license, if you distribute something that have a share alike license you have to distribute it with a share alike licence that is similar to the original license. The distribution you do here of Scroogled does not have this license. I think that should be fixed for all CC books that are distributed here.