[Python-ideas] CC0 for Python Documentation

[Terry Reedy]

On 11/22/2013 10:02 AM, Antoine Pitrou wrote:

 >> Techtonic wrote:
>>> http://docs.python.org/3/copyright.html - PSF is the sole
>>> owner of the docs

False. It lists 4 legal entities as the owner of the combined software 
and documentation.

"Python and this documentation is:
Copyright © 2001-2013 Python Software Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2000 BeOpen.com. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995-2000 Corporation for National Research Initiatives. All 
rights reserved.
Copyright © 1991-1995 Stichting Mathematisch Centrum. All rights reserved."

Each has copyright on the contributions made during the listed periods. 
PSF only owns contributions since 2001, much as it wishes otherwise. I 
believe that the previous sponsors have be asked but have declined to 
assigned their copyrights to PSF. If they were to,
http://docs.python.org/3/license.html
could be simplified a bit.

> Anatoly has a point, though: why does the doc claim Python is
> "copyright PSF" while that is not true - and the LICENSE file doesn't
> make any such claim?

Anatoly misstated the copyright claim, certainly with respect to 
'Python'. Both files say the same thing, with the same dates. The 
license file just gives more details as to versions.

Perhaps he was confused by the web page copyright notice at the bottom 
right of *every* page, not just the Copyright page.
   © Copyright 1990-2013, Python Software Foundation.

I believe that listing just PSF is ok because the formatted web pages 
are derived works using .rst and Sphinx, starting with 2.6. In any case, 
the only people with a right to complain are the other three underlying 
copyright holders.

The beginning date should perhaps be 1991 instead of 1990, though there 
might also be a good reason for that related to public notices Guido 
posted before the first release. But I see no reason for *us* to fuss 
about that.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy