About the CA form

About the CA form

[Artur Malabarba]

Is there a PDF template of the FSF's Copyright Assignment form available online?
Maybe this is documented somewhere, but I couldn't find anything with
a few brief searches.

If not, then is that intentional? Would it for some reason be
undesirable for someone to publicly display an example of the CA form?

I ask because I think some people might be more confortable assigning
copyright if they could know beforehand exactly what the form states
(at least I know it was a small concern for me).


Cheers,
Artur

Re: About the CA form

[David Kastrup]

Artur Malabarba <bruce.connor.am@gmail.com> writes:

> Is there a PDF template of the FSF's Copyright Assignment form available online?
> Maybe this is documented somewhere, but I couldn't find anything with
> a few brief searches.
>
> If not, then is that intentional? Would it for some reason be
> undesirable for someone to publicly display an example of the CA form?
>
> I ask because I think some people might be more confortable assigning
> copyright if they could know beforehand exactly what the form states
> (at least I know it was a small concern for me).

Obviously you know exactly beforehand what the form states as you
otherwise would have a hard time signing it.

Assignments vary over time and the case in question.  There is no
obligation to sign what the FSF sends you.  If you find yourself
unwilling to agree, you can ask for those amendments you consider
important to you or just refuse.

-- 
David Kastrup

Re: About the CA form

[Jeff Clough]

Artur Malabarba <bruce.connor.am@gmail.com> writes:

> Is there a PDF template of the FSF's Copyright Assignment form
> available online?  Maybe this is documented somewhere, but I couldn't
> find anything with a few brief searches.

I don't know about online, but sending an email to
"copyright-clerk@fsf.org" will get you what you need.

> I ask because I think some people might be more confortable assigning
> copyright if they could know beforehand exactly what the form states
> (at least I know it was a small concern for me).

For me, there was no part of the assignment process where I was not
given as much time as I needed to read over and understand what I was
submitting, signing over, or otherwise giving to the FSF.

Again, I'd recommend contacting copyright-clerk@fsf.org so you can see
for yourself and get your answers directly. If there is some reason the
forms/templates aren't available online, the clerk will likely know why.

Jeff

Re: About the CA form

[Andreas Röhler]

  On 23.10.2015 13:03, Jeff Clough wrote:
> Artur Malabarba<bruce.connor.am@gmail.com>  writes:
>
>> Is there a PDF template of the FSF's Copyright Assignment form
>> available online?  Maybe this is documented somewhere, but I couldn't
>> find anything with a few brief searches.
> I don't know about online, but sending an email to
> "copyright-clerk@fsf.org" will get you what you need.
>
>> I ask because I think some people might be more confortable assigning
>> copyright if they could know beforehand exactly what the form states
>> (at least I know it was a small concern for me).
> For me, there was no part of the assignment process where I was not
> given as much time as I needed to read over and understand what I was
> submitting, signing over, or otherwise giving to the FSF.
>
> Again, I'd recommend contacting copyright-clerk@fsf.org so you can see
> for yourself and get your answers directly. If there is some reason the
> forms/templates aren't available online, the clerk will likely know why.
>
> Jeff
>

Did you sign to indemnify the FSF even in case, a claim of copyright 
infringement brought forward was unfounded?

At least that was the kind of stipulation I remember... Not surprised 
the text isn't found without effort.

Re: About the CA form

[Jeff Clough]

Andreas Röhler <andreas.roehler@online.de> writes:

> Did you sign to indemnify the FSF even in case, a claim of copyright
> infringement brought forward was unfounded?

No. Again, I would suggest that if anyone has a question about
assignments, they're probably best answered by emailing the clerk
directly and following up with one's attorney.

Jeff

Re: About the CA form

[Stephen Berman]

On Fri, 23 Oct 2015 15:03:41 +0200 Andreas Röhler <andreas.roehler@online.de> wrote:

>  On 23.10.2015 13:03, Jeff Clough wrote:
>> Artur Malabarba<bruce.connor.am@gmail.com>  writes:
>>
>>> Is there a PDF template of the FSF's Copyright Assignment form
>>> available online?  Maybe this is documented somewhere, but I couldn't
>>> find anything with a few brief searches.
>> I don't know about online, but sending an email to
>> "copyright-clerk@fsf.org" will get you what you need.
>>
>>> I ask because I think some people might be more confortable assigning
>>> copyright if they could know beforehand exactly what the form states
>>> (at least I know it was a small concern for me).
>> For me, there was no part of the assignment process where I was not
>> given as much time as I needed to read over and understand what I was
>> submitting, signing over, or otherwise giving to the FSF.
>>
>> Again, I'd recommend contacting copyright-clerk@fsf.org so you can see
>> for yourself and get your answers directly. If there is some reason the
>> forms/templates aren't available online, the clerk will likely know why.
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>
> Did you sign to indemnify the FSF even in case, a claim of copyright
> infringement brought forward was unfounded?

That's not what the (or at least my) Copyright Assignment says, but
rather (paragraph 7c):

"Developer is not obliged to defend FSF against any spurious claim of
adverse ownership, but will cooperate with FSF in defending against any
such claim and will indemnify FSF for all losses if the claim is not
                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
spurious, i.e. if the adverse claimant is a true owner and FSF is
^^^^^^^^
thereby damaged, including but not limited to the amount of all adverse
damage judgments and costs of litigation."

> At least that was the kind of stipulation I remember... Not surprised the text
> isn't found without effort.

Steve Berman

Re: About the CA form

[Richard Stallman]

[[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider    ]]]
[[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies,     ]]]
[[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example. ]]]

We don't post the forms because we don't want people to print forms
themselves and sign those copies, because then we can't tell if they
have changed it.  We want contributors, if they want changes, to
discuss them with us.

But you certainly can (and should) read it before you sign it.


-- 
Dr Richard Stallman
President, Free Software Foundation (gnu.org, fsf.org)
Internet Hall-of-Famer (internethalloffame.org)
Skype: No way! See stallman.org/skype.html.