So the rights are not given to the individual contributers but to the group as a whole. Seems a good idea, but the last part could become problematic.Originally Posted by Falconius
I'm am working under the assumption that the copyright is collectively owned by the project contributors, and that it is share alike among the contributors, and that we collectively assume all rights. This allows us to alter it as we need by majority vote to accommodate the situation should it change in the future.
So, we would define the participant Guild members as the owner. Would that work? I mean, I'm not sure I already saw something like that elsewhere. Maybe copyright laws are more flexible than I think but I have to admit that I don't know much about that.
Something like this ?: Copyright collective - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Well... just from reading that, I think a "copyright collective" is more of a payee/trustee sort of thing - managing rights instead of money.
But I get the idea you're reaching for, and I'm sure it can be done, I just don't know how...
Have you "liked" a post today?
When one states "all the participants", one needs to distinguish between all who contributed, or all who are currently contributing. "Active signatories", like Falconius said. It won't be a month after the first map WIP is posted, before somebody not only drops out, but does so in an untraceable, unreachable manner. Maybe it would be sufficient to say if you want to retain a vote in any decision, you have to stay in touch. Decisions may need to be made fairly quickly... people don't have to be vanished to be out of a given decision - most of us go on trips, study for exams, spend time sick, or a thousand other reasons for being unable to communicate. Perhaps the project needs to state up front that no intellectual-property decisions will be finalized in less than X number of days - that way folks can be sure to check in every X-1 days to be sure they never miss out - if it matters to them.
I've been part of cooperative worldbuilding where people who withdraw try to take their stuff with them... that HAS to be understood to be impossible from the start. Not in a use-it-elsewhere sense, but in a remove-it-from-use-here sense. An up-front agreement that in whatever way is concluded in this thread or successor discussions, ALL material contributed remains useable by the project as a whole, in perpetuity. I suppose the retention of A license to use your own stuff might be fine, just not THE SOLE license to do so.
Perhaps a coordinator role needs to be entrusted with more than the usual single in-Guild means of contact; again, if someone wants to be solidly in touch. If copyright and use issues don't much matter to an individual, then the board or private messages may be enough.
Question Regarding Ownership
I don't know if this is possible with the stated goal of creating a wholistic world instead of a world composed of puzzle pieces. Because, in the wholistic group designed world, everything should be derivative of previous work, thus nothing would be solely one contributor's work.
Exceptions could probably be found like generic building plans, but anything IP worthy, should be based on the IP of the CWBP2 IP in order to avoid the puzzle piece approach.
I agree that once something is submitted to the project it become the propriety of the group. Thus, someone can't withdraw his original content. Unless the rest of the group approves maybe...
I already talked about how many votes do we need to have a legitimate decision but I admit that intellectual-property decisions are a special case. A pretty important one because it could lead to conflict. For that, establishing a list of active contributors could be useful.
On another topic, I would like to settle the copyright issue. What would be the best license for the project? Creative commons ? Commercial or non commercial? Others?
I think the main issues is around the NC clause. Soon, we'll need to vote about this.
I think CC is out really as it doesn't allow us enough control over the actual terms. We kind of need some sort of CC type deal restricted to the Guild only and controlled by the active participants in maintaining the CWBP 2 licenses. (ie those CWBP 2 participants who sign up for the responsibility and maintain a guild active status by signing in to the forums like at least every three months.)
Is that possible ? and what license would apply for everyone else?
For the list I suggest that someone should be designed to keep track of the members. As you said, every three month (or it could be shorter/longer), the person in charge would need to check if the members where active (last time they were connected).
It would be treated as a normal copyright overall, in control of the CWPB 2 copyright board. Membership to the board merely requires one to volunteer and have something contributed to the project and to maintain activity. Activity would only have to be checked if a copyright issue came up, like someone want to publish something or whatever. Although I don't see it as a likely problem here in the guild, board members who are causing problems or trolling or whatever can be removed by a 2/3 majority vote from the rest of the board.
Within the guild we would treat it as CC for personal use and for further development but we (CWBP 2 Copyright Board) would still retain full rights. So if people wanted to use it outside of the guild they'd have to apply to us for permission.
That's how I think it ought to be handled, but really talking about legal stuff is really unpleasant, so if anyone has any objections or additions they'd like to add or bring up I say we wrap this up and move forward on this assumption.
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