Re: VMs: RE: Map scans now posted...

["matt welnicki" <welnicki@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

All,

As someone who has done some copyright work (and who is
finally happy to be able to contribute something):

I don't believe one can copyright the actual VMS or its
"scholarship," but one could verly likely copyright or
otherwise protect the intellectual property rights of
one's own interpretation of a work (ie, artistic photo)
especially if they put their own contributions into it
(ie enhancement, additions, scholarship, possibly
sponsor names).  However, as a practical matter, unless
contributions are extremely original, it would be near
impossible to prove infringement (not that anyone would
litigate the issue).
Another question is whether we want to have the VMS
look like todays ball parks or sports teams with
sponsorship logos everywhere.

As to the issue of a not for profit, it may make sense
to create a "charitable" organization so that people
are more confident in sending donations and so that no
individual is on the hook for buying web space or
materials.  If collections/donations are being
solicited over the internet or mailed in, then the
collecting individual would want to be concerned with
someone complaining to the FTC or other fed agency that
could charge the individual with something.  Then the
organization can post who its contributors/members are.
 The down side is that these organizations still need
to be managed like any other entity, and disputes could
arise as to who "owns" the scholarship and intellectual
property that results.  The same would be the problem
if it was linked through an organization such as a
university that would want to share in the fruits of
the discovery (although it would provide funding).

All that said.  I would still probably contribute
something to "end the list" on a positive note.

Thanks,
Matt
> 
>  
>  Don Latham wrote:
>  > Good idea, GC!!
>  
>     Darn good idea. I see a lot of the current
problems
> stem from (or are
>  exacerbated by) poor quality representations of the
> original source material.
>  
>     What if we created a sponsorship deal of some
sort?
> Buy a page for the VMs
>  effort, have your name permanently recorded on the
> margin of the image provided
>  via the web. Make the resulting pages available free
> to all but under copyright
>  to the VMs group, stipulating that they may be
> redistributed only without
>  alteration.
>  
>     I'd buy a couple pages.
>  
>     I don't know anything about non-profits, but if it
> was possible to make it a tax
>  deductible donation, a lot more people might
> contribute. I bet there's geeks
>  abounding who'd like to buy a small page of infamy.
>  
>  Chris - Xenon
>  -- 
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