Free content

Free content (Wikipedia) licenses give others the right to re-use content.

This is intended to be a learning project about free content, what "free" and "unfree" content is, and what kinds of free content there is (i.e. what licences are used). This could a central node for all Wikimedia contributors who want to 1) find out more about free content, and 2) help others with licencing issues, and 3) discuss the various benefits and limitations of free content licences. However, as this page is only just beginning, please add any information, comments and questions, which we could eventually refactor into some useful learning material.

## Major issues

[edit | edit source]

### What is "free" content?

[edit | edit source]

Free content is content (ie books, music, images, etc.) which can be used freely, under one or a combination of free licences. Examples of this are any of Wikimedia projects' content - amongst which is this project, Wikiversity. For a breakdown of what licences are available, and what they mean, see below. Also, see Wikiversity:Copyrights and Commons:Licensing.

### What is "unfree" content?

[edit | edit source]

In contrast to free content, "unfree" content (or content under copyright), is released under heavy restriction of use. This means (amongst other things) that the content cannot be reproduced in other formats, publications etc., except by permission of the author and/or publisher, or except under certain specific legal clauses, such as that of "fair" or "educational" use (though this varies between countries and contexts).

More things than you might imagine are copyright, for example:

* A photograph you have made of a person who has not given their consent to be photographed.
* A photograph you have made of another creative work - a public sculpture, a detail of an architectural interior, even an action figure! (though this depends on the country, author rights etc.)
* A screen shot you have made of proprietary (i.e. "non-free") software.
* A scan you have made of a book/album cover.

### Searching for free content

[edit | edit source]

1. Creative Commons search

Images

1. Flickr
2. Wiki Commons

Audio

1. Jamendo.org
2. Archive.org

Video

1. Archive.org
2. Youtube, blip.tv, ustream

Books

1. Wikisource
2. Project Gutenberg
3. Hathi Trust Digital Library

### What copyright options are there?

[edit | edit source]

* All rights reserved & Fair use/Fair dealing
* Public domain

* Free Software Foundation (FSF)
* GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) (not recommended for Wikiversity)
* GNU Free Documentation License (not recommended for Wikiversity)

* Creative Commons \- CC Licenses \- Creative Commons licenses (Wikipedia)
* Attribution
* Creative Commons BY
* Creative Commons Attribution License v3.0
* Share-alike
* Non-commercial
* No derivatives
* CC0

* BSD licenses
* OpenBSD & The Berkeley Copyright
* FreeBSD Documentation License

* MIT License
* Free Art License
* Apple's Common Documentation License
* Open Content License

### What are the differences between copyright licenses?

[edit | edit source]

A cartoon about the GFDL and Creative Commons - do you agree with this point of view?

[Intro needed]

* What licences do you think work best in specific contexts?
* What would you prefer to use?

## Important factors to consider

[edit | edit source]

* Works that are in the public domain can be used at Wikiversity.
* Attribution is the act of giving credit to an author or organization for it's work. If you copy a work that is licensed so as to require attribution of the original source, please be sure to provide the required attribution.

## Questions

[edit | edit source]

Are you confused about any aspect of free content? Please ask any question(s) you have about this subject here.

* ...

## Participants

[edit | edit source]

If you are interested in free content (whether you are knowledgeable, or want to find out more), please sign your name here, and state what your interest, experience is.

* Cormaggio \- I still feel like I'm very much learning, and do not understand fully the ins and outs of different licences. I'd love for someone to guide us/me through these complexities :-)
* luke \- learning too, and in a practical sort of way ~) Glad to help in any way, if I can.
* The Jade Knight \- Particularly aware & supportive of the Creative Commons licenses.
* Mirwin \- I participate in free engineering projects such as cisLunarFreighter and Lunar Boom Town.

## Resources

[edit | edit source]

* Open Source textbook (on Wikibooks)
* Copyleft article (on Wikipedia)
* Text of the GNU Free Documentation License
* Creative Commons BY 2.5 (full licence)

### Free tools

[edit | edit source]

* Java

## Courses

[edit | edit source]

* Free Content Licenses

### Resources

[edit | edit source]

* The GFDL and you

## See also

[edit | edit source]

* Libre
* Free online peer reviewed journals
* Free license music
* Essay on licenses
* Wikipedia's content on open source licenses
* Wikiversity:Free license content

## External links

[edit | edit source]

* Definition of free content
* Open Source Initiative (OSI)
* Electronic Freedom Foundation
* Creative Commons
* GNU licences
* Open Rights Group (UK)
* Participatory Culture Foundation