> > You can do anything you want to with a public domain work > except try > > to assert a valid copyright on it, which is one of the incidents of > > the BSD or any other open-source license. So, no. > > So I have no right to create a derivative work of a public > domain work and release that derivative work under a license > of my choice? For example, I can not take PD code and > incorporate it into Apache httpd? I must misunderstand what > public domain means, then.
What does the word "it" mean? :-) I think there is a confusion of antecedent basis here. In the original sentence, John suggested that nobody can assert a copyright on a public domain work. True. Its copyright has presumably expired (or perhaps it is a US Government work in the United States). It reqires no license at all to distribute a public domain work. Brian is also right. Anybody can create a derivative work of a public domain work and distribute that derivative work under the Apache or any other license. /Larry Rosen -- license-discuss archive is at http://crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3