[sword-devel] For ALL On The List: Copyright Considerations, What do you think?

[Eeli Kaikkonen]

Maybe some simple classification for copyrights would be good. E.g.

Personal use: allowed for all/allowed for owners of key
Redistributing: not allowed/allowed if without fee/allowed without
                restrictions
Redistributing modified work: not allowed/allowed/allowed if modified
                              work is also free

These would be in all modules.


Maybe it would also be good to explicitly tell how each module has been
prepared. In many modules this already is the case. In kjv2003 I would
like to see the notice that it has been done by volunteers without
directly copying any existing source. In some ccel documents it could be
"Originally translated to electronic form from public domain book by
ccel project voluntees."

________________________________

What do you think about copyright laws of different countries? I have
thought about this problem: in Finland copyrights are valid until 70
years after original copyright holder's death. If I have understood
right, in US it's only 70 years after the start of the copyright
(correct me if needed). Robertson's Word Pictures has different parts
with different years. Some parts are in public domain in US, some have
been freed by the copyright holder. But in Finland I could use only
those parts which are freed by copyright holder but not those which are
in public domain according to US law, because Finnish copyright law
protects all works in Finland, not only those which are made in Finland.

It would be good to ask permission even for some works which are already
in public domain in US.


  Sincerely Yours,
      Eeli Kaikkonen <eekaikko@paju.oulu.fi> Suomi Finland