Quoting David A. Wheeler ([EMAIL PROTECTED]): > Hello - I'd like to ask OSI to add "Public Domain" to the > open source software license list at: > http://www.opensource.org/licenses/index.php
I'm not sure there's reasonable consensus on the legal effect of declaring one's copyrighted work to be in the public domain. In the context of USA Federal law, at least, I've looked in vain through 17 USC to find any provision permitting a copyrighted work to become public domain before expiry of its copyright term. People have sometimes claimed that caselaw has interpreted public-domain declarations as irrevocable licences for gratis usage by anyone -- but I haven't seen citations, let alone any showing that wide legal precedent exists. Moreover, it seems a-priori unlikely that an author could excuse himself from any duties that go with copyright ownership, though such a declaration: Otherwise, it'd be a dandy way to evade product-liability lawsuits. It seems possible, even, that a public-domain declaration might have _no_ legal effect. All told, I don't know if the OSI should want to put its stamp on this particular can of worms. (Disclaimer: IANAL. Fortunately, the above does not contain legal assertions, only questions I think are relevant.) -- Cheers, "My file system's got no nodes!" Rick Moen "How does it shell?" [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- license-discuss archive is at http://crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3
