Subject: [linux-audio-user] Free Music licenses: which to choose?
From: Graham Percival (gperlist_AT_shaw.ca)
Date: Fri Sep 27 2002 - 04:03:08 EEST
I'm finally ready (two months after I thought I'd be) to release some
music under a GPL-type music license, but now I'm getting bogged down
trying to decide which one to use. Unlike the free software community,
which has two highly visible licenses (GPL and BSD), the free music
community seems to have a number of licenses, with no clear popular
choice.
Although most (if not all) Free Music Licenses talk about "help build a
common pool of creative expression that can be accessed and improved
upon by all of society" (from the EFF's OAL), it's not clear that
their licenses allow for that. AFAIK, I cannot combine music licensed
under the OAL with music licensed under the Design Science License
or Open Content License (except with express permission of the copyright
holders, of course). This seems to result in a number of small ponds
of artistic expression, rather than one big common pool. Is this a valid
concern, or just a wild hypothesis? :)
Does anybody have a favourite Free Music License? Right now I'm leaning
towards the EFF's OAL, but I really don't like their idea that you should
use (O) instead of (c).
Two lists of Free Music Licenses:
http://www.eff.org/IP/Open_licenses/licenseguide.html
http://www.ram.org/ramblings/philosophy/fmp/formal_licenses.html
Cheers,
- Graham
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