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Legal Impediments to Using F/OSS Screenshots?

Posted by Cliff on from the publisher's-headaches dept.

Software Illustrated asks: "When publishing books on how to use Linux desktop software, the legal/IP review process to make sure we aren't infringing on the property rights of 3rd party sources should be easier than for books about proprietary/closed source software, right? Microsoft makes it easy as long as you comply with their guideline. I didn't think it would be necessary to get permission to publish a screenshot of, for instance, the GNOME gconf-editor. But that is just what our legal/IP review team is pursuing. Is this necessary?" "If not, then how do you explain to a by-the-book contract administrator that the rules are different with GNOME? I find myself dealing with exactly this problem right now, resulting in a book ready for publication being put on hold. Is the solution here to get GNOME (and KDE for that matter) to publish their own permission guidelines ala Microsoft? Seems counterintuitive to the spirit of the F/OSS movement. But doing this sure would grease the skids for publishers. Has anyone else dealt with this issue?"

4 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. Well.. by Momoru · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'd say just do it...who is going to sue you exactly, and with what money and to what end?

  2. No restrictions on the use of the output of GPL... by NZheretic · · Score: 4, Interesting
    There are no restriction on use the output of GPL and LGPL licensed programs, unless the the program outputs copies of GPL/LGPL source code:
    Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not covered by this License; they are outside its scope. The act of running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the Program (independent of having been made by running the Program). Whether that is true depends on what the Program does.
  3. Re:Why would you ignore your legal advice? by hahiss · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah, you could have saved a LOT of money on atty's fees by coming to /. first!

    --
    "Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under." - H.L. Mencken
  4. Fair Use by molo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you are publishing in the U.S., Fair Use should apply in this situation. It is for a review/criticism/educational purpose to take the screenshot and comment on the program's use. See Wikipedia article on Fair Use

    -molo

    --
    Using your sig line to advertise for friends is lame.