On Sat, 02 Sep 2006 21:44:02 +0200, Fastfission fastfission@gmail.com wrote:
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I don't think copyrights work on a "per file" basis — they work on a "per work" basis. To my understanding of it, you can't GFDL only a low-res version of something and not have it also covered by a high-res version. At least I'm pretty sure there's nothing in current caselaw which would imply that different resolutions of the same image have independent copyright status.
Ok, IANAL, but my understanding is "yes and no".
Copyright is granted for the work, no question about it. Anyone create something creative have full copyright for that work and any derivatives. HOWEVER the copyright holder is fully within his right to *licence* one spesific version (or copy) of the work under a free licence without loosing any sort of controll over source work.
A number of of software companies base theyr entire business model on this principle. They offer one version of theyr code for free under the GPL licence (or whatever), and one version under a commercial licence where people can pay a fee in exchange for not beeing bound by the GPL terms (release source code, licence result under GPL etc).