YWAMKnowledgeBase:Copyright
From YWAMKnowledgeBase
Copyright is an important issue when so many people are working together on a writing project like this.
This article explains what licence we are using and why.
Our Copyright licence
We have chosen the Creative Commons (By Attribution, Share Alike) licence as it is very compatible with the previous Gnu Free Documentation License (GFDL), but better suited to our needs.
The purpose of this KnowledgeBase to make a lasting resource that will be "free" in the sense of freedom: to assure all YWAMers and everyone else the effective freedom to copy and redistribute it, with or without modifying it, either commercially or noncommercially. Secondarily, this License preserves for the YWAM and all individuals involved in the creating of the KnowledgeBase a way to get credit for their work, while not being considered responsible for modifications made by others. To this aim we publish the material under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike (by-sa) licence. 
Creative Commons, By Attribution, Share Alike
The most suitable licence for the Wiki is the Creative Commons, By Attribution, Share Alike (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) which gives the freedom:
| 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). Share Alike. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same, similar or a compatible license. 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. |
Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike (by-sa) licence.
So note that even if you contribute your knowledge to YWAM KB, you are still the copyright-holder to it. Practically speaking, if a publisher asks for a different license (i.e. without attribution or for commercial use), all users that edited the article(s) have to agree. Without their consent, however, these articles can be used as long as the copyright of the published work conforms to the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike licence.
Historical note
The KnowledgeBase began as a GFDL licenced wiki. We started a process to migrate the copyright, and following a year without dissension it was changed on 14 May 2009.
The only exception is any page that explicitly states a different copyright agreement.
The advantage was that the new licence is more compatible with other creative licences. (The GFDL is designed for computer software manuals)
