[okfn-discuss] OK Definition is flawed by imposing restrictions

Mon Jan 14 11:34:32 UTC 2008

Quoting Rufus Pollock <rufus.pollock at okfn.org>:
> Rob Myers wrote:
>> I am aware of the Wikipedia and OSM attribution problems. These are  
>>  a failures of planning by otherwise excellent projects, not a deep  
>>  problem with attribution.
>
> I must confess I am not as knowledgeable as yourself as to what these
> current problems are. Would you mind providing some further
> information? Is it that attribution is required to each individual
> contributor?

OpenStreetMap and Wikipedia are very successful projects with many  
contributors. Each of those contributors must be given attribution  
under the licences that OSM (BY-SA) and Wikipedia (FDL) use. Since a  
town map from OSM or a detailed article on a popular subject from  
Wikipedia may have dozens of contributors, attributing them all  
individually can become a burden.

OSM in particular are discussing how to better handle attribution.

BY-SA 2 introduced group attribution and the ability to separate  
attribution from the work (if this is done for *every* author: I can't  
put my name on the cover then relegate others to a web page somewhere)  
IIRC. Copyright assignment or agreeing to allow indirect attribution  
as a condition for contributing might also work.

>> The OKD's failure to ensure that knowledge is restrictable is not a  
>>  flaw. Its acknowledgement of licences that make knowledge   
>> restrictable is a flaw from my point of view, but I think it's a   
>> reasonable compromise.
>
> What "acknowledgment of licences" did you have in mind here? I'd be
> very interested to have your comments in this regard as well as any
> suggestions for how things could be 'fixed' if there is something that
> isn't right.

The "conformant licences" section lists the MIT and CC-BY licences as  
conformant. These licences allow work to be used by individuals who  
then close it off to others.

I personally believe that such licences are usually not as useful as  
copyleft licences but I recognize that they can have their practical  
uses and that some people are attached to them for ideological  
reasons. I think that the OKD is therefore right to recognise such  
licences, and should ignore both people like myself who do not like  
them, and others who believe they are the only acceptable option. ;-)

- Rob.