[Foundation-l] Copyright issues and how we handle them

Wed Oct 17 17:07:45 UTC 2007

The lack of copyright advice forcing us to rely on
ourselves (namely amateurs) being a problem is old
news.  But this is situation where I believe amateur
copyright enforcer has gone too far.

Contributors never like to hear that they misjudged
copyright and must remove their work. However we must
try to handle such issues with tact.  At the extreme
end of this problem, I believe someone from the
foundation must intervene with those who claim false
authority.  Such as an editor who believes he knows
better than others on copyright issues and implies he
has the approval of the Jimbo and the ability to see
that the foundation shuts down a project if the
contributors do not submit to his opinion. This is an
extreme case where action is needed.

Background: The most distressing part of a Russian
copyright dispute regards rehabilitated prisoners,
including the men and women who died in Soviet Gulags.
A new Russian law, which becomes active Jan 1, 2008,
will apparently restore IP rights on their works for
70 years + the date of their most recent postmortem
rehabilitation.  As many of these authors, such Osip
Mandelstam have no heirs (the gulag authorities seems
to have failed to have prisoners create wills before
seeing to their early deaths) so everything will be
inherited by the Union of Russian Writers and the
Russian State which killed him in a concentration camp
in 1938.  This is obviously distressing to ex-pat
contributors. They would like further opinions but are
instead threatened that further delay in deleting
these works will lead to the project being shut down.

Alex Spade[1]: This information and other copyright
info comes from Alex Spade who delivers such
information as if he has authority on copyright
interpretations. He leads the contributors at ru.WS to
believe he is in communication with the WMF about this
matter and his rulings have WMF approval.  Whether he
meant to foster such a belief or simply neglected to
correct it, I cannot say.  From my time spent with
babelfish and the community discussion page of ru.WS
[2] I find the following examples to a fair
representation of his tone.  He did give a breakdown
of why he believes the copyright issue exists, but was
not open to discussion or requests for further
opinions.  Is it truly such an air-tight case? I am
not sure.  However with restorations that apparently
go into effect *next* year, but are not valid now, I
would be looking for other opinions as well. Even if
his opinion tuns out to be correct, it cannot excuse
the way he is handling this issue. Translations by
Dmitrismirnov:

«&#1059;&#1074;&#1072;&#1078;&#1072;&#1077;&#1084;&#1099;&#1077;
&#1091;&#1095;&#1072;&#1089;&#1090;&#1085;&#1080;&#1082;&#1080;,
&#1080; &#1074;
&#1086;&#1089;&#1086;&#1073;&#1077;&#1085;&#1085;&#1086;&#1089;&#1090;&#1080;,
&#1072;&#1076;&#1084;&#1080;&#1085;&#1080;&#1089;&#1090;&#1088;&#1072;&#1090;&#1086;&#1088;&#1099;
&#1088;&#1091;&#1089;&#1089;&#1082;&#1086;&#1081;
&#1042;&#1080;&#1082;&#1080;&#1090;&#1077;&#1082;&#1080;.
&#1044;&#1072;&#1078;&#1077; &#1073;&#1077;&#1079;
&#1075;&#1088;&#1103;&#1076;&#1091;&#1097;&#1080;&#1093;
&#1080;&#1079;&#1084;&#1077;&#1085;&#1077;&#1085;&#1080;&#1081;
&#1079;&#1072;&#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1086;&#1076;&#1072;&#1090;&#1077;&#1083;&#1100;&#1089;&#1090;&#1074;&#1072;
&#1086;&#1073; &#1040;&#1055; &#1074;
&#1056;&#1086;&#1089;&#1089;&#1080;&#1080;,
&#1074;&#1099;
&#1074;&#1086;&#1086;&#1073;&#1097;&#1077;
&#1089;&#1086;&#1073;&#1083;&#1102;&#1076;&#1072;&#1090;&#1100;
&#1090;&#1077;&#1082;&#1091;&#1097;&#1077;&#1077;
&#1090;&#1086;
&#1079;&#1072;&#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1086;&#1076;&#1072;&#1090;&#1077;&#1083;&#1100;&#1089;&#1090;&#1074;&#1086;
&#1089;&#1086;&#1073;&#1080;&#1088;&#1072;&#1077;&#1090;&#1077;&#1089;&#1100;?
&#1048;&#1083;&#1080; &#1074;&#1099;
&#1076;&#1086;&#1073;&#1080;&#1074;&#1072;&#1077;&#1090;&#1077;&#1089;&#1100;,
&#1095;&#1090;&#1086;&#1073;&#1099;
&#1092;&#1086;&#1085;&#1076; &#1087;&#1086;
&#1095;&#1100;&#1077;&#1081;-&#1085;&#1080;&#1073;&#1091;&#1090;&#1100;
&#1079;&#1072;&#1103;&#1074;&#1082;&#1077;
(&#1085;&#1091;,
&#1085;&#1072;&#1087;&#1088;&#1080;&#1084;&#1077;&#1088;,
&#1084;&#1086;&#1077;&#1081;)
&#1079;&#1072;&#1082;&#1088;&#1099;&#1083;
&#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1077;&#1082;&#1090;,
&#1090;&#1072;&#1082;&#1078;&#1077;:
&#1082;&#1072;&#1082; &#1074;
&#1089;&#1074;&#1086;&#1105;
&#1074;&#1088;&#1077;&#1084;&#1103;
&#1092;&#1088;&#1072;&#1085;&#1094;&#1091;&#1089;&#1082;&#1080;&#1081;
&#1074;&#1080;&#1082;&#1080;&#1094;&#1080;&#1090;&#1072;&#1090;&#1085;&#1080;&#1082;?
Alex Spade 11:56, 8
&#1089;&#1077;&#1085;&#1090;&#1103;&#1073;&#1088;&#1103;
2007 (UTC)»
Translation: “Respected participants and in particular
the administrators of the Russian Wikisourse,
Even without the future changes of the copyright law
in Russia, are you going to keep the current law? Or
you strive that the Wiki-fundation would shut project
by somebody’s claim (for example, by mine), like it
was with the French Wiki-Quote sometime ago?”

And later:

&#1042;&#1080;&#1078;&#1091;, &#1095;&#1090;&#1086;
&#1074;&#1089;&#1105;
&#1089;&#1083;&#1086;&#1078;&#1085;&#1086;, &#1080;
&#1089;&#1083;&#1080;&#1096;&#1082;&#1086;&#1084;
&#1084;&#1085;&#1086;&#1075;&#1086;
&#1086;&#1075;&#1088;&#1072;&#1085;&#1080;&#1095;&#1077;&#1085;&#1080;&#1081;,
&#1082;&#1086;&#1090;&#1086;&#1088;&#1099;&#1077;
&#1088;&#1072;&#1079;&#1088;&#1091;&#1096;&#1072;&#1102;&#1090;
&#1074;&#1089;&#1105;
&#1083;&#1091;&#1095;&#1096;&#1077;&#1077;,
&#1095;&#1090;&#1086; &#1077;&#1089;&#1090;&#1100;
&#1074;
&#1042;&#1080;&#1082;&#1080;&#1090;&#1077;&#1082;&#1077;.
Jimbo &#1076;&#1086;&#1083;&#1078;&#1077;&#1085;
&#1079;&#1085;&#1072;&#1090;&#1100; &#1086;
&#1085;&#1072;&#1096;&#1080;&#1093;
&#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1073;&#1083;&#1077;&#1084;&#1072;&#1093;
&#1080; &#1087;&#1086;&#1085;&#1103;&#1090;&#1100;
&#1085;&#1072;&#1096;&#1077;
&#1085;&#1077;&#1076;&#1086;&#1074;&#1086;&#1083;&#1100;&#1089;&#1090;&#1074;&#1086;.
&#1053;&#1072;&#1076;&#1077;&#1102;&#1089;&#1100;,
&#1042;&#1099; &#1077;&#1084;&#1091;
&#1087;&#1077;&#1088;&#1077;&#1076;&#1072;&#1076;&#1080;&#1090;&#1077;
&#1101;&#1090;&#1086; Dmitrismirnov 12:46, 17
&#1089;&#1077;&#1085;&#1090;&#1103;&#1073;&#1088;&#1103;
2007 (UTC)]

Translation:[Dmitr Simirnov: I see that all this is
complicated, and there are too many limitations, which
destroy all best part of the Wikisourse. Jimbo must
know about our problems and understand our
dissatisfaction. I hope, you will communicate this to
him. Dmitrismirnov 12:46, 17
&#1089;&#1077;&#1085;&#1090;&#1103;&#1073;&#1088;&#1103;
2007 (UTC)]

&#1054;&#1085; &#1086;&#1073; &#1101;&#1090;&#1086;
&#1080; &#1090;&#1072;&#1082;
&#1079;&#1085;&#1072;&#1077;&#1090;, &#1085;&#1086;
&#1083;&#1080;&#1094;&#1077;&#1085;&#1079;&#1080;&#1102;
GFDL &#1085;&#1080;&#1082;&#1090;&#1086;
&#1084;&#1077;&#1085;&#1103;&#1090;&#1100;
&#1085;&#1077; &#1073;&#1091;&#1076;&#1077;&#1090; -
&#1074;&#1080;&#1076;&#1080;&#1084;&#1086;
&#1088;&#1077;&#1096;&#1080;&#1083;&#1080;
&#1078;&#1080;&#1090;&#1100; &#1087;&#1086;&#1076;
&#1085;&#1077; &#1089;&#1072;&#1084;&#1086;&#1081;
&#1091;&#1076;&#1072;&#1095;&#1085;&#1086;&#1081;
&#1083;&#1080;&#1094;&#1077;&#1085;&#1079;&#1080;&#1077;&#1081;,
&#1095;&#1077;&#1084;
&#1085;&#1072;&#1088;&#1074;&#1072;&#1090;&#1100;&#1089;&#1103;
&#1085;&#1072;
&#1085;&#1077;&#1086;&#1073;&#1093;&#1086;&#1076;&#1080;&#1084;&#1086;&#1089;&#1090;&#1100;
&#1087;&#1077;&#1088;&#1077;&#1083;&#1080;&#1094;&#1077;&#1085;&#1079;&#1080;&#1088;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1085;&#1080;&#1103;
&#1084;&#1080;&#1083;&#1083;&#1080;&#1086;&#1085;&#1086;&#1074;
&#1089;&#1090;&#1088;&#1072;&#1085;&#1080;&#1094;
&#1080;
&#1080;&#1079;&#1086;&#1073;&#1088;&#1072;&#1078;&#1077;&#1085;&#1080;&#1081;,
&#1089;&#1086;&#1079;&#1076;&#1072;&#1085;&#1085;&#1099;&#1093;
&#1084;&#1080;&#1083;&#1083;&#1080;&#1086;&#1085;&#1072;&#1084;&#1080;
&#1091;&#1095;&#1072;&#1089;&#1090;&#1085;&#1080;&#1082;&#1086;&#1074;.
Alex Spade 19:41, 17
&#1089;&#1077;&#1085;&#1090;&#1103;&#1073;&#1088;&#1103;
2007 (UTC)

Translation: [Alex Spade: He knows about this
definitely. But nobody will change the license GFDL –
so they probably decided to live with not the most
successful license, which is better than to change of
millions of pages and images, created by million
participants. Alex Spade 19:41, 17
&#1089;&#1077;&#1085;&#1090;&#1103;&#1073;&#1088;&#1103;
2007 (UTC)]

Such heavy-handiness and false authority shown here
are  damage to the reputation of WMF.  Dmitrismirnov
[3] is not only a notable composer and therefore has
real-world appreciation of IP rights, but he also is a
valued Wikimedian as a literary translator.  He is
truly creating free works we would not otherwise have
in the world by releasing his translations under the
GFDL.  We all create free work in some way, but I have
a special appreciation for those who participate in
the more skilled endeavors. And it especially offends
me to see what I feel to be deception used to close
this discussion possibly driving away a contributor I
value.  

Birgitte SB

[1]http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Alex_Spade
[2]http://ru.wikisource.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B0:%D0%A4%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%83%D0%BC#.D0.98_.D0.B2.D0.BD.D0.BE.D0.B2.D1.8C_.D0.B0.D0.B2.D1.82.D0.BE.D1.80.D1.81.D0.BA.D0.B8.D0.B5_.D0.BF.D1.80.D0.B0.D0.B2.D0.B0
[3]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitry_Nikolayevich_Smirnov_%28composer%29

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