[sword-devel] Here's Our Chance: Copyright Negotations

[Daniel Glassey]

On Wednesday 18 Sep 2002 2:00 am, you wrote:
> Hey Everyone,
>
> 	So I have been skimming through the copyright and locked module related
> e-mails that have been flying around this mailing list. Well here is our
> chance to help a Bible society out and also have their translations
> available for people to download. The Bible Society of South Africa has
> expressed that they would be willing for us to distribute their
> translations for a small fee (they say $10, I would like to see it
> closer to $5). So how are we going to do this? I am looking for ideas
> from anyone but particularly those that will have to do some work to
> implement things (Troy and Chris). I would like to have something to
> propose to them in the next couple of days. Thanks so much.
>
> In Christ,
> Jonathan Hughes

Really really good news! God is great :)

I agree with Dan Bertles, the best thing is for us to create the module and 
for them to sell it. It would be a lot of extra work to maintain some kind of 
shop site, I don't think that would be the best use of resources.
On the other hand (just got the mail from David :) ), if we could work with 
other groups (like www.scriptureresources.com) to provide a central site for 
selling bible texts for bible societies and similar groups then that might be 
good.

One important thing though. From what I understand the encrypted module 
creation tool is broken at the moment (see Adrian Kortens mail sep 10). We 
really need to get that fixed, but it should be possible.

The other technical details depend on what format they which to provide the 
source text in. Troy and Chris would know better if they want to, but I'd 
assume we'd want to create an OSIS 1.1 encoded text for them and create a 
module from that?

I see from their website they have translations in these 10 Souh African 
Languages (more than 1 translation in some cases):
Afrikaans  English  Northern Sotho  Southern Sotho  Swati  Tsonga  Tswana  
Venda  Xhosa  Zulu
I assume the plan would be for us to start with one of them, (maybe a new 
testament only to start with, or new testaments of all of them for parity) 
and then work on from there?

I guess we'd need to work out a timescale we'd have in mind for making a 
completed text from whatever source they give us.

My tuppence for tonight,
Regards,
Daniel