Question about creating a new open source license

[SunnyRabbiera]

Alright here is the deal, I have a lot of written material that I want to put under a open source license, the problem is that no current license really covers what I need it to do.
The GPL is mainly for software, this is not software related.
Now the BSD license is kind of neat, and it can be modified but I would need to make sure to add some of my own clauses to it.
I have checked out the artistic license, seems fine but I want something more versitile.
Creative commons... eh, live with it, live without it.
I checked out many different licenses but none of them fit, so I am thinking of making my own.
Now I have three licenses in mind for my projects, one is sadly enough very close to a proprietary license but mainly to protect my materials from outside influence... I am protective of my works (hey any artist will be) but I do have two other licenses that I am thinking of creating.
One is more like the GPL and or BSD licenses and one is practically a GPL redressed for artwork.
But how much does it cost to set up such a thing? I am from the united states but I have no where to start founding my new artistic license concept.
I just want something to protect my creative works but something flexible as well and currently nothing fits the bill

[hyper_ch]

A licence is nothing but an agreement on which terms your work can be used by others. It doesn't cost anything itself... you have have to define it.

[Bachstelze]

It costs nothing. When you publish a work under a license, you're basica&lly saying to the world : "All right guys, I give you this work that you can use/modify/redistribute/whatever under this and that contitions. If you don't respect these conditions, I'm gonna sue you for copyright violation."

And that's about it. You can put whatever you like in your license, and you certainly don't have to "register" it in any way.

[p_quarles]

A licence is nothing but an agreement on which terms your work can be used by others. It doesn't cost anything itself... you have have to define it.


It costs nothing. When you publish a work under a license, you're basica&lly saying to the world : "All right guys, I give you this work that you can use/modify/redistribute/whatever under this and that contitions. If you don't respect these conditions, I'm gonna sue you for copyright violation."

And that's about it. You can put whatever you like in your license, and you certainly don't have to "register" it in any way.
Except that many licensing terms can be completely unenforceable because of their wording. The cost of creating a valid license is the legal vetting. Part of the security of using an established license (BSD, GPL, CC) comes from the fact that the wording has already been validated by those fluent in legalese.

[SunnyRabbiera]

Except that many licensing terms can be completely unenforceable because of their wording. The cost of creating a valid license is the legal vetting. Part of the security of using an established license (BSD, GPL, CC) comes from the fact that the wording has already been validated by those fluent in legalese.
Yeh its that part I am concerned about, do I have to take this somewhere so I can protect my works?

[p_quarles]

Yeh its that part I am concerned about, do I have to take this somewhere so I can protect my works?
Well, you could take it to a lawyer who specializes in copyright law. The disadvantages there would be that it could cost a lot, and you still wouldn't necessarily be on very solid footing. I honestly think that finding a CC license that you could live with would be a better way of protecting your work than relying on something less tested.

[SunnyRabbiera]

Yeh, but I still want something of my own for my projects.
Maybe I should study law or something and become my own lawyer, hey that was going to be my secondary career anyway if computers didnt work for me.

[ssam]

what do you want be people to be allowed to do with your work? maybe someone can suggest an existing licence that would work for you.

[tribaal]

I really doubt rolling your own license is a good idea...

I suggest you read this article (http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT7188273245.html) on the subject.

Cheers

- Trib'

[SunnyRabbiera]

what do you want be people to be allowed to do with your work? maybe someone can suggest an existing licence that would work for you.

well there are many things I want to do with my projects that I feel that current licenses cannot do for me.
I mean I can settle with the creative commons and or the artistic licenses but I like to do things on my own terms.

[RAV TUX]

well there are many things I want to do with my projects that I feel that current licenses cannot do for me.
I mean I can settle with the creative commons and or the artistic licenses but I like to do things on my own terms.Can you be more descriptive about what you want to do?, it is hard to help you if you are vague.

[SunnyRabbiera]

Can you be more descriptive about what you want to do?, it is hard to help you if you are vague.

Well this is something for a series I was writing, I have fiction materials that I want to make into a community project.
You see I want to create the first open source series, something that is created by me but written by a community.
But I want to set some ground rules and make sure no one steals my works without my permission.
I mean the creative commons and artistic licenses will do, but I feel they dont give me the kind of control that I want.
I know it sounds greedy but I do have something that I value here, I want to protect myself.
What I have in mind is what George Lucas has done with Star Wars, allowing people to write within the boundaries of the universe but have some freedom.