NAME
Software::License::PD - Public Domain pseudo-license
VERSION
version 1.002
DESCRIPTION
In legal circles, Public Domain is defined as the absence of copyright (and therefore precludes the need for any license). Artistic works enter the Public Domain in two common situations:
Where the work carries no license or copyright information, and precedes the ratification of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works; or
Where the term of copyright has lapsed, the length of which varies between jurisdictions
Some authors have chosen to disclaim all rights to their works and release it into the Public Domain, which is ideal when authors want to ensure that their work can be used without any restrictions whatsoever. However, the notion of relinquishing work into the Public Domain can be contentious in some cases, since some jurisdictions may not recognize an author's prerogative to disclaim all rights to their own work. In European countries, for example, authors can abandon their claim to copyright, but not reputation rights (which prevent people from removing your name from your work, among other things).
While I have researched the issue to some extent, I am not a lawyer and am not qualified to provide legal advice. I have used this license for some of my own packages, but am unsure whether it would stand up in a court of law.
USAGE
This module can be used with Dist::Zilla simply by specifying:
; authordep Software::License::PD
license = PDin your dist.ini file.
WHY NOT CREATIVE COMMONS ZERO?
The Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license is an extremely liberal license, which confers rights similar to Public Domain to the extent permissible by law. However, Creative Commons does not recommend the application of their licenses to software, see: Can I apply a Creative Commons license to software?
NOTABLE PROJECTS
Several notable Open Source software projects have been released into the Public Domain, including:
SQLite, a popular embedded database library included in many other projects, both open source and proprietary
djbdns, a small DNS server used in many embedded devices, along with numerous other projects published by Daniel J. Bernstein
Math::Random::ISAAC, as well as the algorithm and accompanying reference implementation
SEE ALSO
The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, which provides automatic internationalised copyright ownership for authors of artistic works.
Edward Samuels' exploration of The Public Domain in Copyright Law, which describes the nature of copyright and the mechanisms under which works can enter the public domain (e.g. through expiration or forfeiture of copyright, or non-copyrightable works.)
Daniel J. Bernstein's examination, Placing documents into the public domain
The Unlicense, a copyright waiver statement
Managing copyright information within a free software project, published by the Software Freedom Law Center
AUTHOR
Jonathan Yu <jawnsy@cpan.org>
COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
Legally speaking, this package and its contents are:
Copyright (c) 2015 by Jonathan Yu <jawnsy@cpan.org>.But this is really just a legal technicality that allows the author to offer this package under the public domain and also a variety of licensing options. For all intents and purposes, this is public domain software, which means you can do whatever you want with it.
The software is provided "AS IS", without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and noninfringement. In no event shall the authors or copyright holders be liable for any claim, damages or other liability, whether in an action of contract, tort or otherwise, arising from, out of or in connection with the software or the use or other dealings in the software.