Re: [libreplanet-discuss] Equivalent of GPLv3 for hardware???

[IngeGNUe]

On 03/30/16 18:38, Pen-Yuan Hsing wrote:
> On 30/03/16 13:45, Mike Gerwitz wrote:
>> On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 12:23:26 +0100, Pen-Yuan Hsing wrote:
>>> I really like the idea of copyleft and licenses such as the GPLv3.
>>> What is
>>> the closest equivalent of GPLv3 for hardware?
>>
>> This is rms' position:
>>
>> https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-hardware-designs.en.html
> 
> Thanks Mike for the link, I just took another look at his essay again.
> as I understand it, he thinks the situation for hardware is different
> but generally recommends the GPLv3 for hardware *designs*. RMS also
> correctly points out the problem of patents in hardware, which I alluded
> to (but didn't make clear) in the original question. My understanding of
> this problem is that even if you release your hardware under a copyleft
> license, the license or only apply to one embodiment of your hardware
> because it is one single expression of a work?
> 
> However, since patents require prior art, if you create something and
> released its design and the physical portions under a copyleft license,
> you are essentially putting all of that into the "prior art" realm,
> which would prevent others from patenting it? Would this work to attain
> the equivalent of copyleft for hardware?
> 
> IngeGNUe also mentioned releasing the hardware under CC BY-SA, which is
> essentially a form of copyleft (please correct me if I am wrong). How
> does that compare to releasing the hardware under GPLv3? Or is there
> another license that addresses this issue, which leads to my original
> question of if there's an hardware compatible license that is in the
> *spirit* of copyleft? I say spirit because copyright (and hence copyleft
> per set) might not be the biggest issue for hardware.
> 
> This might become a real issue for me in the coming months since I'm
> trying to sign up for a maker/hacker related meeting to discuss and
> brainstorm hardware projects...
> 
> Thanks!!
> 

If you'll forgive the "open source" phrasing -- you'll have to live with
it on many of these hardware endeavors :) -- there are a bunch of people
in your shoes too:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_hardware#Licenses
http://p2pfoundation.net/Open_Hardware_Licenses
http://antipastohw.blogspot.com/2010/01/grand-unifying-theory-of-open-source.html

There do exist "open" hardware licenses and maybe some of them are
copyleft...

This is really worrying:

"But actually, the situation is very different for hardware design,
since copyleft relies on copyright, and hardware is (in most cases) not
protected by copyright law." -
http://keimform.de/2009/the-tricky-business-of-copylefting-hardware/

This is useful history, the problems have been going on for years:
http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2012/01/10/open-hardware-licenses-history/

http://oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/licdiff <--- I have NEVER heard of
these people until now, no idea if they have a good reputation... IF
they are good, then maybe they will know someone on the other side of
the Atlantic.