[oor-forum] update to the OOR IPR Policy

[Peter Yim]

Dear All,


Ref. http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?OpenOntologyRepository_IPR#nid2L0S

The prevailing OOR Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy (as
adopted by the community on 17-Dec-2010) now reads:

//
= The Official OOR Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy =

Our intent is to make the OpenOntologyRepository (OOR) software and
system, as well as the content hosted in the open public instance of
the OOR (repository) that this OOR-team will operate and maintain, to
be as free, open, and unencumbered by IPR restrictions as we possibly
can, so as to allow users of the software, system, and ontology
content, the maximum freedom and flexibility. As such, we shall
stipulate that ...    (2L0T)

* software codes contributed to the OOR effort has to carry the
"Simplified (two-clause) BSD License" (FreeBSD License).    (2L0U)
** the above will be the default position, unless it is otherwise
mutually agreed in writing, between an authorized representative of
the OOR team and the contributor. Such exception, even if agreed upon,
needs to bind the contributing software codes to a compatible,
non-reciprocal, "gift," open-source license, such as (included, but
not limited to) the MIT License, the Apache License version 2.0 or the
Mozilla Public License 1.1 (MPL);    (2L0V)
** it is, of course, also acceptable if the software contribution in
question is in the public domain;    (2L0W)
** Software libraries, under either "gift" or "reciprocal" open
software licenses, may also be used in the OOR software or system.
(2L0X)

* Any content contribution to OOR should specify an IPR license, as
part of the OOR "gatekeeping" requirements, which will be maintained
in the content contribution metadata. Each repository using the OOR
software can specify its own set of acceptable IPR content licenses.
 (2L0Y)

* That content (essentially ontologies or other "knowledge
organizational structures (KOS's)") contributed to the open public
instance of OOR (which the OOR team will operate and maintain) will
need to be licensed under either one of the following:    (2L0Z)
** the "Simplified (two-clause) BSD License" (FreeBSD License), or    (2L10)
** the "attribution only" Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY
3.0 or its successor), or    (2L11)
** the content being contributed is in the public domain.    (2L12)
//


In view of the publication of the Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 [1] in
late 2013, which now does a better job in terms of
Internationalization, and has made improvement to cover "data" more
adequately (by properly addressing sui generis database rights and
copyright-like rights) [2], I propose we update the relevant OOR IPR
Policy clause (ref. "nid2L11" -
http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?OpenOntologyRepository_IPR#nid2L11)
to read:
//
** the "attribution only" Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY
4.0 or its successor), or
//
[... was: ** the "attribution only" Creative Commons Attribution
License (CC BY 3.0 or its successor), or ]


*** I suggest we discuss any issue on this thread that OOR team
members may see, for this update. Barring any objection, I move that
we adopt this change at the next OOR team conference call, or
automatically (by way of unanimous lack of objection), 30 days from
this message, whichever comes first. ***


ALL: Please second the motion, discuss, voice support, etc. ...


Reference:
  [1] http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
  [2] https://wiki.creativecommons.org/Version_4#Version_4.0_Policy_Decisions
  [3] we had a discussion on the [ontoiop-forum] list when the issue
of "choice of license for the OntoIOp Registry came up which may be
relevant - see:
https://listserv.ovgu.de/pipermail/ontoiop-forum/2014-October/000043.html


Thanks & regards. =ppy

p.s. btw, will someone (Ken? Michael? Till? Todd?) step up to
schedule/call the next OOR team meeting, please.

--
Peter P. Yim
http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?PeterYim