I’m an aspiring author, building a novel under CC BY-SA (it’s in french). My wish is to make it some kind of framework for others to be allowed to build more stories, or modify mine and redistribute freely, even commercially.

I don’t plan on making a living from it, there’s no way it could happen (although being paid should not be incompatible with free licenses, but that’s another discussion). The thing is, when I think about the attribution part of the license I’m choosing, I often think it’s too restrictive and should be public domain instead, if my work is really meant to be an open narrative framework.

What are your takes on the attribution license, regarding free licenses for cultural content, especially written content ?

(I’m french so if there are any french speaking people around here, feel free to answer in another language than english)

  • WiνΛlem OrtΛνízOP
    1·
    2 years ago

    I get your point.
    But if someone is taking something from public domain and distributing it closed, it doesn’t make the original story and artefacts closed. If it is acknowledged the source is public domain, only some derivative works made after it would be considered closed copyright, like Disney would do with every ancient legend they have reshaped. So it reduces possibilities but it doesn’t stop you from making your own derivative works from the original, which is still public domain.

    At that point however, maintaining open licensing becomes a legal war, but this kind of war can also happen with appropriation of CC BY-SA content, which also happens now and then.

    My point of view is about adding to a “lore”, and not appropriating myself the authorship of a cultural sum of content that got processed through my mind. CC-BY can be far fetched too in some cases.
    Some compromise I am getting to is to have single ideas of artefacts and phenomenons from my writings licensed as public domain, like a library, and more complete works like chapters or whole book under CC-BY SA (or Art Libre).
    Although in certains cases, some of my short stories will be public domain too I think, because I don’t believe I should have a right on all of them, but it will be on a case by case basis.

    Much complex :D

      • WiνΛlem OrtΛνízOP
        1·
        2 years ago

        The “lore” gets closed in that world since the moment that a propietary copy gets famous and doesn’t contribute back to the original, which, in fact, has no central point of avaiiability but it is almost a just 1-release version that in the moment you stop, it will become difficult to track.

        Yeah, you’re right. Tracking the original source (and certifiying a timestamp on it) is key in a legal framework. But why would it be more difficult for Public Domain than CC BY-SA for instance, if some reliable source certifies the content ?
        I get what you’re saying, I’m not trying to be contrarian, and I do agree that the strength of Copyleft is that of the collectives. I’m also against appropriation, and I think it’s great to have a strong copyleft framework.
        Aren’t there collectives fighting for public domain content too ?

        By the way thanks for adding to the discussion, I really appreciate that.