Re: DEP5: Public domain works
Ben Finney <ben+debian@benfinney.id.au> writes:
> Lars Wirzenius <liw@liw.fi> writes:
>
> > On ti, 2011-01-18 at 17:03 -0800, Russ Allbery wrote:
> > > I'm happy to see public domain added as a license keyword.
> >
> > This is the consensus, it seems. Would anyone like to suggest a
> > patch to implement it?
>
> Here's my proposal:
That appeared inappropriately line-wrapped when I received it. Here it
is as an attachment.
=== modified file 'dep5.mdwn'
--- dep5.mdwn 2011-01-19 05:22:03 +0000
+++ dep5.mdwn 2011-01-19 09:45:59 +0000
@@ -389,6 +389,7 @@
[[!table data="""
**keyword** | **meaning**
+`public-domain` | No license required for any purpose; the work is not subject to copyright in any jurisdiction.
`Apache` | Apache license [1.0](http://spdx.org/licenses/ASL-1.0), [2.0](http://spdx.org/licenses/ASL-2.0).
`Artistic` | Artistic license [1.0](http://spdx.org/licenses/Artistic-1.0), [2.0](http://spdx.org/licenses/Artistic-2.0).
`BSD-2-clause` | Berkeley software distribution license, [2-clause version](http://spdx.org/licenses/BSD-2-Clause).
@@ -467,6 +468,27 @@
> also delete it here.
+### Public domain
+
+The `License` short name `public-domain` does not refer to a set of
+license terms. There are some works which are not subject to copyright
+in any jurisdiction and therefore no license is required for any
+purpose covered by copyright law. This short name is an explicit
+declaration that the associated files are “in the public domain”.
+
+Widespread misunderstanding about copyright in general, and the public
+domain in particular, results in the common assertion that a work is
+in the public domain when this is partly or wholly untrue for that
+work. The
+[Wikipedia article on public domain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain)
+is a useful reference for this subject.
+
+When the `License` field in a paragraph has the short name
+`public-domain`, the remaining lines of the field **must** explain
+exactly what exemption the corresponding files for that paragraph have
+from default copyright restrictions.
+
+
## Syntax
License names are case-insensitive, and may not contain spaces.
--
\ “Roll dice!” “Why?” “Shut up! I don't need your fucking |
`\ *input*, I need you to roll dice!” —Luke Crane, demonstrating |
_o__) his refined approach to play testing, 2009 |
Ben Finney
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