[sword-devel] ESV

[Troy A. Griffitts]

Hi Tuomas,

Yes, Crossway has decided to ask us again to stop distributing the ESV. 
We deal with new people there all the time and explaining to them how we
work and our "family" of applications, and that open source software
does not mean open source Bibles, is a challenge.  For the past 10
years, we have tried to get the ESV distribution off of our server onto
Crossway's server into their own SWORD remote module installation
repository, so as to not require from CrossWire a license from Crossway
(and all Crossway requires of a license, including a nominal annual fee,
renewing the contract, providing regular download stats, etc.). 
Crossway has expressed desire to do this in the past, which we hoped
would happen soon and hadn't been paying their licensing fees in the
hopes that they would take over their own distribution, but they have
never follow through with this.  The most recent person in charge of
digital licensing has now sent us a bill for $1400 for past licensing
dues and is sending mixed signals:

"Crossway does not wish to have you do this [distribute from CrossWire
servers] with our content, as we have our own servers.  We also do not
want to make your software or the data files that work with our [sic:
your?] software available on Crossway's site, as we have our own
proprietary API, apps, software, and systems."

...

"Crossway is not interested in granting you a license to distribute the
ESV from your server, nor do we wish to distribute your data files and
software from our site."

...

"If in the days to come you wish to use the ESV again, we would welcome
a new proposal from you regarding your desired use."


I sent the new distributions rights "VP" all the threads of discussion
we've had over the past 18 year with Crossway.  I am sure it was
probably too much to be useful, but have quoted relevant sections of
those discussions.  It all comes down to the fact that we have 2000+
Bibles available for our tools.  For no other Bible do we have to pay an
annual licensing fee or regularly deal with demands from some new person
in charge of digital rights to cease distribute of their text when
someone from our community emails them and asks about their new SWORD
frontend having access to the ESV.  It has become exhausting.

I am sad it has come to this,

Troy


On 6/4/19 11:44 PM, Tuomas Airaksinen wrote:
> Hi,
>
> And Bible user notified me that popular ESV module has disappeared and
> I checked that it indeed is not listed in AB module listings at the
> moment. What happened?
>
> -- 
> T: Tuomas
>
> _______________________________________________
> sword-devel mailing list: sword-devel at crosswire.org
> http://www.crosswire.org/mailman/listinfo/sword-devel
> Instructions to unsubscribe/change your settings at above page
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.crosswire.org/pipermail/sword-devel/attachments/20190606/2a3b904b/attachment.html>