Jatopian
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1842
Registered: 07-31-2005
IP: Logged

Try making a new post with an attachment, and you'll notice that there is a drop-down for what kind of licensing you want to claim on the attachment. Erik explains it here.

Currently, the default option is Public Domain. There are problems with this: What if you're in a hurry? What if you forget? What if you don't speak English well and you don't realize you just gave everyone the rights to use your attachment?

Personally, I think the default option should be Other. It means you specify what you claim about the file in your post. If you don't specify, people have to ask you about it. In other words, it represents the arrangement on normal forums without this licensing drop-down. Good for accidents, and good for people who don't want to bother with the whole thing.

____________________________
DROD has some really great music.
Make your pressure plates 3.0 style!
DROD architecture idea generator

Jutt
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 863
Registered: 06-29-2007
IP: Logged

I used to forget specifying the license, but now try to set it consistently.

Thinking about the options makes me less sure about what should be the default. I'm very sure it should not be public domain though. In order of my current preference I'm considering the following default options: Other, All rights reserved, placeholder.

I see no reason not to allow multiple options, so keep the drop-down menu.

Another thing: for some reason the forum tells you to specify your real name in order to use all rights reserved or Creative Commons. This should not be required, as I'm fairly sure it's not necessary for either license.

____________________________
Holds: An Architects Audition, Artful Architecture, Salamander, Elusive Exhibitions, Leftover Levels, Six Times Six
Collaborative: Way Forward, Advanced Concepts 2
Styles/Mods: Basalt, Sandstone, Garden, Clock using game elements

Jatopian
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1842
Registered: 07-31-2005
IP: Logged

Hm. I didn't put All Right Reserved or Creative Commons as options for that question because of the requirement. I guess I should've if that requirement shouldn't be there.

____________________________
DROD has some really great music.
Make your pressure plates 3.0 style!
DROD architecture idea generator

Syntax
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1218
Registered: 05-12-2005
IP: Logged

I think being given the option is a huge step up from normal forum rules of "we own what you post".

In that manner, I can understand why Public Domain would be the natural default

Jutt
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 863
Registered: 06-29-2007
IP: Logged

File: A Beautiful Pony For Trickster.png (384.4 KB)
Downloaded 357 times.
License: Creative Commons
3.0 Unported

[Post Deleted] Trickster wrote: 1) The drop-down is a convenience for communication that is probably better done in the message text than a limited select box.

I'm fine with that. If we set the default to other, you can continue ignoring it and specify the license in your post.

2) It does not magically convey the licence you select onto your work, period. Selecting Public Domain will not actually relinquish your rights to a work that you don't intend to be PD, and selecting All Rights Reserved will not retain your rights on a work that you have elsewhere indicated you no longer retain those rights to.

I'm going to disagree with you. Attaching your work here with a Creative Commons license will effectively give the right to other people to reproduce the work as long as they comply to the specifics of the license. That's how the thing is designed to work.

I don't quite understand your examples though. A license generally specifies other peoples rights to your work, and in no way relinquishes your own rights (except maybe exclusivity, but I wouldn't count that as a right in itself). And if you post something as "all rights reserved" while you have given up the rights to it, then indeed that license carries no weight as reproducing it is in fact illegal.

3) I'm never going to assume something is actually Public Domain just because someone uploaded a file with that selection. On the other paw/hoof, you can't generally assume you will retain the rights to exclusivity on a work that you've posted in public on the Internet unless you ship it as part of an archive file with license information clearly included which limits its distribution.

I'm pretty sure that in most civilised countries copyright law states that any work you are the original creator of, you will retain the rights to if posted on the internet without any additional license information. Bundling a license with your work may be playing it safe, but is not required

Licenses are only there to make the lives of other people easier. If I don't mind if other people publish the thing as long as they give me credit, I give it a Creative Commons license. If I don't mind people defiling it on 4chan, I set it to public domain. But if I say nothing at all, people are not allowed to do anything with it unless they ask me for permission.

PS:
Here, I just did it, I just gave away some rights to this beautiful piece of art I made.


____________________________
Holds: An Architects Audition, Artful Architecture, Salamander, Elusive Exhibitions, Leftover Levels, Six Times Six
Collaborative: Way Forward, Advanced Concepts 2
Styles/Mods: Basalt, Sandstone, Garden, Clock using game elements

trick
Level: Legendary Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2580
Registered: 04-12-2003
IP: Logged

It really is a mess. Most people ignore that dropdown, which means that any attached file on the forum licensed as "Public Domain" is probably not actually Public Domain. It's useless info at best, at worst it's misinformation that could actually get someone in trouble if they assume it's correct. Also, even if being inattentive when attaching a file was legally binding (it's not ), releasing something as Public Domain can be a pretty big deal and should be a deliberate choice.

What I think should be done: Rename the "Public Domain" license to "Unknown", or maybe merge it with "Other". That should fix all mislicensed attachments (and some real Public Domain ones, but at least "Unknown" still includes the possibility of PD). Also, default the "I'm the author" selection to "no".

---

[Last edited by trick at 04-23-2012 02:54 PM]

Jatopian
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1842
Registered: 07-31-2005
IP: Logged

Crap, I forgot about the radio buttons. Uh, I'd say default authorship to "unknown". As for Public Domain, I think it's good for people to be able to declare Public Domain, but maybe existing Public Domains should all be converted to Other, and we can make Other the default.

____________________________
DROD has some really great music.
Make your pressure plates 3.0 style!
DROD architecture idea generator