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Message-ID: <3CE8E56C.6DE8C743@apache.org>
Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 14:00:44 +0200
From: Stefano Mazzocchi <stefano@apache.org>
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To: cocoon-dev@xml.apache.org
Subject: Re: copyright for docs [was: Re: [Bugs] URLSource]
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"Andrew C. Oliver" wrote:
> 
> Oh man, the docs copyrights should be assigned to the ASF.  What a pain
> otherwise.

I substantially agree, but I want to make a little clarification: as it
happens with code today and how the Apache License 2.0 will clarify in
defined legal details, if you donate something to an Apache project
covered by the Apache License, the copyright goes to the copyright owner
of the package you sumbit your stuff to.

In the Cocoon's case, the ASF. No way out of this. It is for code, docs,
images and what not.

This is done to have just one legal umbrella for the whole thing,
otherwise, as Andrew notes, it's going to be a PITA to defend us in case
something happens. Don't know what, but legal protection is there for
what you *don't* know nor forecast.

For what I know, a company in the future can claim a patent on the
ability to use XML for documentation. In that case, if the users retains
copyright, the ASF can't do anything to protect him/her... and each time
we make a release, we need to have an agreement with all the people to
allow us to distribute their work with ours.

A real mess.

But let me clarify something: as it happens with code, if I donate
something to this project, I *DO* keep the copyright of it. So, if I
write an document for Cocoon, submit it to the cocoon documentation and
then somebody wants to publish it, I don't have to ask the ASF
permission, as long as I don't incorporate modifications that were done
*after* my donation.

In strict legal sense, a donation doesn't affect copyright
retroactively.

I think all this should convince almost everyone that donating their
docs to the ASF under theri copyright, is a win-win solution for both.

-- 
Stefano Mazzocchi      One must still have chaos in oneself to be
                          able to give birth to a dancing star.
<stefano@apache.org>                             Friedrich Nietzsche
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