Re: Fwd: MIT OpenCourseWare Permission Request for [6.111 Spring 2006], OCW000007995

[Andreas Røsdal <andreasr gnome org>]

On Wed, 9 Apr 2008, Alan Horkan wrote:
> On Tue, 8 Apr 2008, Thomas H.P. Andersen wrote:
> > Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 23:18:04 +0200
> > From: Thomas H.P. Andersen <phomes gmail com>
> > To: games-list <games-list gnome org>
> > Subject: Fwd: MIT OpenCourseWare Permission Request for [6.111 Spring
> >     2006], OCW000007995
> >
> > I tried to reach the copyright holder Marcin at various email
> > addresses I could find for him. Unfortunately all of them bounced and
> > there is only two days left to reply in. Does anyone know Marcin's new
> > email address?
>
> How is a screenshot not Fair Use?
>
> This looks to me like CYA or legal people being excessively careful.
> Magazine reviews of Open Source projects frequently make these kinds of
> requests even though the GPL (and in this case Fair Use) more than
> entitles them to do what they need.  (If you can modify and fork it under
> the GPL I ask again how can you not take a screenshot.  A question that
> need not even be asked.  A symptom of the current excessive and draconian
> copyright system?)
>
> You could probably get away with something along the lines of
> "as maintainer of Gnome Games ... I am not a lawyer ... limited use of a
> screenshot of Gnome Games is considered Fair Use ... etc"

I agree fully with this, it's fair use to take a screenshot of Gnometris,
so my suggestion would be that we are pragmatic and allow MIT use the 
screenshot. It can only be a good thing for gnome-games.

 - Andreas