[tlug] Copyright and preserving TLUG presentations [was: ...How to Grok Logs]

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

Bruno Raoult writes:

 > In fact, I said I would give back a copy of the translated version.
 > Would this scenario work (I mean being acceptable):

 > - I get a version of the document
 > - I translate it

You're already infringing copyright under the Berne Convention (but it
would be very difficult to catch you, of course).  To legally make any
copies, including translations, you must get permission *first*.

Whether that would be acceptable in TLUG practice is up to TLUGgers in
part, but the law is on the side of the author if he decides to be a
jerk about it.

 > For the second, I am less sure. If the speaker allows a video to be taken,
 > who is the real owner?

The speaker, if she's making it up as she goes along, the author, if
she's following a script.  Berne Convention, again.

 > You start to make me afraid about all my holidays pics and videos,
 > hehehe :-)

To the extent that somebody is doing something expressive (composing
words or music or dance) or performing an existing work, you could be
held accountable.  If it's just the scenery or something traditional
like singing "Happy Birthday", you've got no problems (in fact, you
own the content because deciding what to shoot is an expressive act).

 > > How would you suggest doing that?  The speakers generally show up with
 > > either a notebook or a USB stick, and leave with it.  TLUG doesn't
 > > have access to the documents in the first place.
 > 
 > I would suggest: Publish all support documents on TLUG,

No, I mean practically.  TLUG doesn't have the documents, only the
authors do.  This is potentially a burden on the authors.  Eg, it
would probably take me about an hour to put my last presentation into
publishable form, as -- simple as it was -- it won't work without
special stylesheets that exist only on that one computer.  I'd
probably end up redoing it in TeX and converting to PDF.

 > PPS. My initial question was about keeping knowledge flowing. I did
 > not think at all it would be so difficult :-)

The problem is that the documents you think would be so easy to
publish don't exist without the cooperation of authors, and
confirmation of translations etc takes authors' time.  Failure to
confirm, OTOH, could result in misrepresentation of the authors'
content, and harm their reputations.  Speaking is its own reward (plus
a couple of beers), but producing documents is work.

We could make a strong suggestion to presenters that a presentation
isn't complete without the supporting materials, but not everybody
would be happy just copying over the materials they presented.  I'm
not sure the organizers would want to impose additional burdens on the
already somewhat thin pool of presenters.

 > Sharing is the magic word, isn't it?

Especially for those who aren't professional authors.  People who do
*nothing* but produce content, which is potentially an eternal gift to
all mankind, are understandably a little concerned about the
implications for their children's education and nutrition of too much
"sharing".