Mail Archives: cygwin/2006/08/14/12:04:44
Darryl Miles wrote:
> I do have questions, they may seem daft, but this issue is legal thing
> so the finer points are important:
> [snip]
> I'd be happy to put the bugfixes for this particular problem in the
> public domain, thus confirming my original legal entitlement to
> copyright and waivering that right. Which would may waiver anyone elses
> future rights to copyright as well. This would seem a compatible
> solution which would allow contributions without needing to enter into a
> copyright assignment agreement. Since my name wont be listed anywhere
> on the published work (since as I read the agreement it would be
> replaced by RedHats anyway) I might as well make the contribution public
> domain.
IANALTYMSIEIAATS...
My understanding is that if you place it in Public Domain, then anyone
can do anything with it and no one can stop this. IOW RedHat would be
safe because no one can prevent them from using Public Domain material
in any manner or fashion. Similarly, you have the same right; no one can
prevent *you* from doing anything at all with your work. The main issue,
of course, is that you lose any and all ability to control the use of
your work.
It sounds to me like what you want to do is release a GPL version of
your work. Again, my understanding is that this makes it 'still your
work' in that you can do anything you want with it, and also anyone else
can use it in any way that the GPL allows. I believe GPL release is
non-revokable, meaning you can't later change your mind (if not, I'm
sure GPL would have died by now), so this should protect anyone who uses
your work in compliance with GPL. But it sounds like this is inadequate?
(I haven't actually looked at RedHat's assignment form, so...)
Corrina, it would seem RedHat has an interest in this conversation...
are your lawyers available for comment? :-) I would think you could at
least make an internal inquiry if they would be willing to talk to Daryl.
--
Matthew
"We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad... You must be, or you wouldn't
have come here." -- The Cheshire Cat
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