Copyleft in Science, Software and Culture

Mathias Klang

klang@fsfeurope.org

Mumbai is the metaphor

This is a city of creation, interpretation, adaptation,

imagination, production,reproduction construction, deconstruction…

Disruptive Technology

Effects of Technology Regulation on Democracy

Life is organized around technology

(and always has been)

The disruption occurs when the technology, which is

introduced effects the social arrangements around which

we build our lives

Findings

• Regulation brings with it unintended & undesirable consequences

• Undesirable consequences are reduced by involving users in the regulation process

• Participatory democracy and design

But let me begin in a strange place…

Fountain - Duchamp (1917)

“The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator

brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to

the creative act”

…deciphering…

• The key to science, software and culture is the ability to decipher

• Without this we cannot contribute

Science

Without the ability to decipher is “dead” dogma

Software

Without the ability to decipher is stagnation

Culture

Without the ability to decipher is unintelligible

Copyleft

is about maintaining the right to decipher

Philosophical Origins

The desire to create an infrastructure that encourages deciphering,

tinkering and adaptation

Starting this Thanksgiving I am going to write a complete

Unix–compatible software system called GNU (for Gnu’s

Not Unix), and give it away free to everyone who can use

it

(Stallman 1983)

The problem with freedom

…is freedom

In Software - freedoms to…

• …run the program, for any purpose.

• …study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs.

• …redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.

• …improve the program, and release your improvements to the public

Copyleft

By using copyright law the creator can allow deciphering, tinkering

and adaptation - while maintaining these rights in the derived product

Basic Howto

• State copyright

• Add distribution terms

• Give everyone the rights to use, modify, and redistribute the program's code or any program derived from it.

• Condition that all future users have same rights.

GNU General Public License

• 2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion of it….and copy and distribute such modifications or work…provided that you also meet all of these conditions:

• b) You must cause any work that you distribute or publish…to be licensed…under the terms of this License.

So much for infrastructure

What about science and culture

Science is strange

in many ways…

Science

• As scientists we struggle hard to maintain the myth of scientific freedom despite the fact that we are struggling with copyrights, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, funding and access (to data, equipment etc)

Culture is at war

Or rather: the discourse of war has entered the cultural domain

From Consumers to Producers

Threatening the “content” industry

Copyleft as inspiration

Creative Commons

Open Access

Remix Culture

Reclaiming the public sphere

These are exciting times & this is going to be an exciting

day

Thank You!