[docbook-css] Licence Clarification

[David Holroyd]

On Fri, Nov 19, 2004 at 05:32:07PM +0000, martin.gautier@myrnham.co.uk wrote:
> >>I believe dedicating your work to the Public Domain means that you 
> revoke
> >>all copyright claims, so you have absolutely no say in what people later
> >>do with it.
> 
> I'd imagine that would be true if it was declared Public Domain and no 
> copyright notice was attached. By copyrighting the material, you get the 
> right to say how you want it to be used. ie. Free, copyable and changeable 
> as long as the copyrigt notice is intact.

'Public domain' specifically refers to things for which copyright has
been revoked, or has expired (i.e. some number of years after the
author's death, their copyright expires, and their work enters the
public domain, if it wasn't there already).


> I guess I don't have a real beef about how license text is worded as long 
> as:
> 
> "Copyright (c) 2004 David Holroyd, and contributors" is prominent.
> If there's a small number of major contributors, you might want to name 
> them?
> It's clear that the software is free and public and can be copied, changed 
> and reused.
> There's a statement removing liability and fitness for use.
> 
> I thought maybe the "...in perpetuity" might help?

I added the phrase.  COPYING now reads:

----
 Copyright (c) 2004 David Holroyd, and contributors.

 Permission to use, copy, modify and distribute this software and its
|documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, in
|perpetuity, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all
 copies, and that both the copyright notice and this permission notice
 appear in supporting documentation. The contributors make no
 representations about the suitability of this software for any
 purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

 THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS
 SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND
 FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
 SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER
 RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF
 CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN
 CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
----

Is it ok for me to publish a new version including this licence?


(thanks for wading though all this, by the way!)
dave

-- 
http://david.holroyd.me.uk/