[svlug] svlug license on Google video of session

[John Mark Walker]

Hi Paul,

I have nothing specific to say to any of your comments below, so instead
I'll pose general questions and comments.

Given that a large proportion of Linux and FLOSS users care very much
about information rights and such, shouldn't you have at least seen this
coming? 

While I am baffled about why you disagree here, that's not so much what
has me concerned. What concerns me is your incredulity that people would
actually voice their opinion on this matter... that it somehow
surprises you that a fair number of people here are actually pretty
opinionated about matters concerning IP law and don't completely trust
Google. I mean, where have you been? It's only been the subject of
contentious debate in communities I inhabit for the last some-odd years.

The fact that you don't see this as an issue and don't plan to take
action in response to the concerns expressed here puts you at odds with
a significant portion of the SVLUG community.

I really don't mean to pile on here, but your response seems rather
tone-deaf. Would it be too difficult to empathize with the concerns of
SVLUG denizens and actually, you know, make plans to obviate them? 

As you can probably tell, this is an issue near and dear to my heart.
By the way, this is not a beef with Google. It doesn't matter what
company is involved - this is about policy. The larger issue here is that
we, as citizens, have allowed well-funded and well-organized companies
to out-maneuver us on IP law. The situation now is such that our current
legal system does not recognize our information rights, and that is a
huge problem. As such, I would think that it behooves a FLOSS community
organization, like SVLUG, to lead the way and set the standard for
others to follow. 

In response, I propose that one of us volunteer to do the job of taping  
the next kernel walk-through. I further propose that regardless of who
owns the copyright, that the material be posted under a creative commons
license. Can we get consensus on that?

I am open to volunteering for this, if someone has a video camera that I
can use. I do not currently own one.

-JM


Excerpts from Paul Reiber's message of Mon Dec 03 16:59:13 -0800 2007:
> On Dec 3, 2007 4:28 PM, Paul Cubbage <oldestgeek at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Coordinate with Google that the copyright belongs to SVLUG and
> > license/copyright it using the Creative Commons.
> > http://creativecommons.org/about/
> >  http://creativecommons.org/about/license/
> >
> > There are several licenses and the choice is worth discussion and a vote.
> [...]
> 
> Interesting ideas all around... Except for one thing - those viddeo's
> are NOT SVLUGs
> PROPERTY... and there's nothing we should be insisting differently there either.
> 
> Google and SVLUG are co-sponsoring these events.  The content is NOT SVLUGs
> alone.  While I concur with Daniel that Google may well change the
> license for us,
> since people are complaining about it - I disagee that it's even a
> problem at ALL!
> 
> For the record - I never told Google I wanted SVLUG to have any rights
> to the videos
> that Google was making, or even that we'd get copies or anything like that.
> 
> It was as simple as this:
> 
> Google: "Can we please videotape the kernel walkthru meetings, edit
> them, and post them on YouTube?"
> Me: "Sure! That's an awesome idea! Go for it!  Thanks so much!"
> 
> THEREFORE...  The agreement we have in place right now - with a
> handshake - doesn't
> mention anything about copyrights or any other rights to the videos.
> If Google's willing to
> change anyway, great, but I wouldn't blame them one bit if they stood
> firm and told us to
> grow up and catch a few clues.
> 
> And I'm really kind of tired  of how many people with 20-20 hindsight
> "help" by telling me
> what I should have done differently; I made _no_ error in dealing with
> Google to bring these
> sessions together - to the contrary, it was the LACK of bickering
> about irrelevant details like
> that which helped bring things together so quickly and bring the
> sessions to the community.
> 
> -Paul
>