[ubuntu-in] This email is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

[ramnarayan.k at gmail.com]

Hi

Am wondering about this "phenomenon" of licensing emails under creative
commons licenses. We have had this discussion before but the number of
people licensing their emails is increasing.

Am pasting the short license version below for ready reference.

My feeling is that licensing ordinary communication will cause trouble
on a few fronts

First Just because we can license anything does not mean we should.  It
trivializes the concept of the Creative Commons license and the entire
Free Speech movement- which is not so much about making it easy to
license work (any work of ones choosing)  but to help *maintain free
spaces* and to *ensure rights over creativity*.

I don't question the creativity of the people involved but do question
the act of licensing what is essentially a two (multi)way conversation

Secondly at the same time is sets a dangerous precedent where free
speech is now up for being licensed. We can draw other logical and
frightening conclusions as well. Like can we now extend this CC license
to Telephone Conversations, IM Chats, VOIP Chats - to speech in general
- the question is not just what its possible to license but where do we
stop.

We have enough convoluted arguments being used by Microsoft and their
ilk , who justify curtailing free speech though a variety of means, to
not give them more arguments however minor this may seem.

****
For those who have not read the Reffered to licenses (the short version)
it is pasted below

Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported
You are free:

    * to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work
    * to Remix — to adapt the work

Under the following conditions:

    *

      Attribution. You must attribute the work in the manner specified
by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they
endorse you or your use of the work).
    *

      Noncommercial. You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
    *
    * For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the
license terms of this work. The best way to do this is with a link to
this web page.
    * Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission
from the copyright holder.
    * Nothing in this license impairs or restricts the author's moral
rights.


Disclaimer

Your fair dealing and other rights are in no way affected by the above.

This is a human-readable summary of the Legal Code (the full license).

****

Reading the license in the context of mails posted to the list a lot of
the conditions would be violated.

So what to others feel - any one with more considered legal opinions !!

regards
ram