2 ms·
> way to permanently waive all claims and rights to things (software or otherwise) I publish, and to assert that those rights will not be later reclaimed Proba
by falcolas 5y ago
> way to permanently waive all claims and rights to things (software or otherwise) I publish, and to assert that those rights will not be later reclaimed
Probably because to do the second, you can't do the first - you have to retain enough rights to keep someone else from copying and relicensing it. And if you do the first, you can't do the second.
The best way probably involves a third party, like a foundation or trustee, taking on the ownership under a contract that they will never switch ownership until it's naturally released by time. Of course, that costs money to maintain, otherwise it becomes an asset that gets sold off.
- avhon1 5y agoRelicensing from second parties to third parties is acceptable, because so long as my publication is discoverable (via catalog, search engine, etc...), the third party could obtain the public-domain permission for (the copyrighted parts which are in fact) my work. Somewhat analogously, in the United States you can publish copyrighted works that contain, and even largely consist of, public-domain content. An example off the top of my head is this book [ CliffsComplete Shakespeare's Hamlet ]( https://www.amazon.com/CliffsComplete-Shakespeares-Hamlet-William-Shakespeare/dp/0764585681 https://www.amazon.com/CliffsComplete-Shakespeares-Hamlet-Wi... ) that I used in school. This was how I was introduced to, and first read, the play. The bulk of the text consists of Shakespeare's "Hamlet", which is in the public domain in the United States, and does not require attribution or licensing. The annotations, footnotes, and explanations are original and copyrighted by the publisher (Cliff's Notes). However, I can extract the original play within and redistribute it, or novel works based on it, without worrying about violating rights held by Cliff's Notes.