[od-discuss] Exploring licence compatibility

Wed Aug 14 07:44:56 UTC 2013

On 13-08-13 09:39 PM, Mike Linksvayer wrote:
>>>   - CC-BY -> ODC-BY, ODC-ODbL and OGL2: I have these as incompatible due to
>>> CC-BY prohibiting TPMs. This is for CC-BY-3.0 though; CC-BY-4.0 won't have
>>> this restriction and thus will be compatible.
> Unfortunately I don't think latter is the case. It is improved
> (especially, but orthogonally, in permitting circumvention when
> possible), but if this is a compatibility barrier, it is still there.
> Parallel distribution would've removed problem for ODbL, but so far
> has again been not taken:
>
> http://wiki.creativecommons.org/4.0/Technical_protection_measures
> http://mirrors.creativecommons.org/drafts/by_4.0d3.html
The wording in CC 3.0 created a prohibition against applying TPMs ("You 
may not impose any effective technological measures on the Work that 
restrict the ability of a recipient of the Work from You to exercise the 
rights granted to that recipient under the terms of the License"), which 
I think prevents going from CC-BY -> ODC-BY, as doing so would drop off 
this restriction.

It looks like CC 4.0 will remove this prohibition though and change it 
to a right to circumvent, which should allow CC-BY -> ODC-BY (unless 
there are any other incompatible clauses I'm missing).  In this case, 
you're just removing a right rather than removing a prohibition, which 
is allowed in non-copyleft licenses.

I agree that this won't help compatibility with ODC-OdbL though, which 
is copyleft and has neither this prohibition nor right.

Kent

Kent