[Foundation-l] Banning Fair Use

[teun spaans]

The fact that MySQL is a database and can be considered an alternative for
MS SQL Server, does not mean that we should not write a book on MS SQL
Server.
I agree that screenshots are an invaluable part of books on software
packages.

I wish you health and happiness.
teun spaans

On 3/28/07, Andrew Whitworth <wknight8111 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: "Gregory Maxwell" <gmaxwell at gmail.com>
> >Can you explain for us why Wikibooks needs fair use? I'm not sure I
> >see as much of as a use case as I do for Wikipedia. Can you provide
> >some pointers?
>
> There are certainly some examples, more wide-spread then you might
> imagine.
> We have several books devoted to the use of particular software packages,
> many of which are copyright. Screenshots of these programs, which are an
> invaluable learning aide, are fundamental to these books. For some
> programs
> there are free alternatives whose screenshots can be reasonably
> substituted
> for the copyrighted versions (albeit with some explanation as to the
> disparity), but for other programs, there are no such equivalents.
>
> Other books, such as art or history books tend to make use of fair use
> images as well. We dont have nearly as many art or history books as we
> have
> computer software books, however.
>
> >At most it would seem to me that it would be something that should
> >only be permitted by exception on a book by book basis based on the
> >subject matter of the book.
>
> It's a matter that has been discussed on our project. We have toyed with
> the
> idea that each book could have it's own localized policy documents dealing
> with issues like this. Many authors tend to overexaggerate their own need
> for special exceptions, however, and so we have generally not followed
> that
> path.
>
> >The prospects of printing wikibooks is probably much greater, to the
> >complications and harm from using non-free images is also probably
> >greater. This should cause us to consider more carefully.
>
> This is precisely the reason why I have personally called for a reduction
> in
> fair use, long before the WMF resolution on the issue. Wikibooks in my
> experience is more oriented towards printing and distributing then
> wikipedia
> is, for instance. Readers in areas that dont allow fair use are at a
> distinct disadvantage because they cannot usually print or distribute our
> books. Some books are at a disadvantate without fair use, however, and we
> need to weigh these issues carefully.
>
> --Andrew Whitworth (b:User:Whiteknight)
>
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