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.infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox"><caption class="infobox-title">Open Content License</caption><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:45%;">Author</th><td class="infobox-data" style="width:55%;"><a href="/wiki/David_A._Wiley" title="David A. Wiley">David A. Wiley</a><sup id="cite_ref-wiley_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-wiley-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:45%;">Latest version</th><td class="infobox-data" style="width:55%;">1.0</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:45%;"><a href="/wiki/Publishing" title="Publishing">Publisher</a></th><td class="infobox-data" style="width:55%;"><a href="/wiki/Open_Content_Project" class="mw-redirect" title="Open Content Project">Open Content Project</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:45%;">Published</th><td class="infobox-data" style="width:55%;"><b>Current version</b>:<br />July 14, 1998<sup id="cite_ref-ocl_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ocl-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="width:45%;"><a href="/wiki/Open_Source_Initiative" title="Open Source Initiative">OSI</a> <a href="/wiki/Comparison_of_free_and_open-source_software_licences#Approvals" class="mw-redirect" title="Comparison of free and open-source software licences">approved</a></th><td class="infobox-data" style="width:55%;">No<sup id="cite_ref-osi-list_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-osi-list-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The <b>Open Content License</b><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> is a <a href="/wiki/Share-alike" title="Share-alike">share-alike</a> <a href="/wiki/Public_copyright_license" title="Public copyright license">public copyright license</a> by <a href="/wiki/Open_Content_Project" class="mw-redirect" title="Open Content Project">Open Content Project</a> in 1998.<sup id="cite_ref-wiley_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-wiley-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The license can be applied to a work to make it <a href="/wiki/Open_content" class="mw-redirect" title="Open content">open content</a>. It is one of the earliest non-software free content licenses. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History_and_reception">History and reception</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Open_Content_License&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: History and reception"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Open Content License, dated July 14, 1998, predates the <a href="/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License" title="GNU Free Documentation License">GNU Free Documentation License</a> (GFDL) and other non-software public licenses. Though discussions were held between <a href="/wiki/David_A._Wiley" title="David A. Wiley">David A. Wiley</a>, creator of the Open Content License, and <a href="/wiki/Richard_Stallman" title="Richard Stallman">Richard Stallman</a>, leader of the <a href="/wiki/Free_Software_Foundation" title="Free Software Foundation">Free Software Foundation</a>, who created the <a href="/wiki/GNU_General_Public_License" title="GNU General Public License">GNU General Public License</a> for software and would create the GFDL.<sup id="cite_ref-grossman_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-grossman-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The license text is titled "OpenContent License (OPL)".<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> "OPL" stood for OpenContent Principles and License.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>This license is not <a href="/wiki/License_compatibility" title="License compatibility">compatible</a> with most other licenses (beside <a href="/wiki/Permissive_license" class="mw-redirect" title="Permissive license">permissive licenses</a>) in that it requires derivative works to be licensed under the Open Content License (<a href="/wiki/Viral_license" class="mw-redirect" title="Viral license">Viral license</a>). With the exception of media and handling costs, it forbids charging for copies of a licensed work, but does not otherwise forbid commercial use.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Another license released a year later, also by the <a href="/wiki/Open_Content_Project" class="mw-redirect" title="Open Content Project">Open Content Project</a>, is called the <a href="/wiki/Open_Publication_License" title="Open Publication License">Open Publication License</a>. The OpenContent as well as the Open Publication license were succeeded by the <a href="/wiki/Creative_Commons_license" title="Creative Commons license">Creative Commons licenses</a> in 2003.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-wiley_1-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-wiley-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>A project licensed under the OPL is <a href="/w/index.php?title=Open_Icecat&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Open Icecat (page does not exist)">Open Icecat</a>, which was launched in 2005 as a global open catalogue for e-commerce, and is embraced by the tech sector. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Open_Content_License&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-wiley-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-wiley_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-wiley_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-wiley_1-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFWiley2007" class="citation web cs1">Wiley, David (2007-05-06). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://opencontent.org/blog/archives/329">"About the Open Publication License"</a>. <i>iterating toward openness</i>. <q>[The] Open Content License (July 14, 1998), which was replaced by the Open Publication License (June 8, 1999), were the first licenses to bring the ideals of open source software to the world of content. The OCL predates the GFDL (Nov 2002) and Creative Commons (Dec 2002) by over four years, while the improved OPL predates both by over three years. The OCL was developed primarily by me... The improved OPL was written primarily by Eric Raymond after discussions with me, Tim O'Reilly, and others... The OPL was truly innovative in that, in addition to requiring citation of the original author as source, it contained two license options which authors could choose to invoke: one restricts users' abilities to creative derivative works, while the second restricts users' abilities to make certain commercial uses of the material. The student of open content licensing will recognize that these are exactly the options that Creative Commons now employs. What may be forgotten is that in version 1.0 of the Creative Commons licenses, Attribution was actually included in the licenses only as an option. In version 2.0 of the CC licenses (May 24, 2004) attribution was standard on every license, and there were two licenses options: one regarding derivative works, and one regarding commercial use. So in terms of high level structure, the OPL was here about five years before CC. ... Actually, the [OCL and OPL] licenses weren't that great, seeing as I am not a lawyer, and neither was anyone else involved in the creation of the license. The concept was right, and the execution was "good enough," but Creative Commons (with its excellent lawyers and law school students) created a better legal instrument. As I said on the opencontent.org homepage on Monday June 30, 2003: 'My main goal in beginning OpenContent back in the Spring of 1998 was to evangelize a way of thinking about sharing materials, especially those that are useful for supporting education. ... I'm closing OpenContent because I think Creative Commons is doing a better job of providing licensing options which will stand up in court [and I'm joining] Creative Commons as Director of Educational Licenses. Now I can focus in on facilitating the kind of sharing most interesting to me ... with the pro bono support of really good IP lawyers... The OpenContent License and Open Publication License will remain online for archival purposes in their current locations. However, no future development will occur on the licenses themselves.' ... Anyone interested in a license like this is far better off using a Creative Commons license.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=iterating+toward+openness&rft.atitle=About+the+Open+Publication+License&rft.date=2007-05-06&rft.aulast=Wiley&rft.aufirst=David&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fopencontent.org%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F329&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOpen+Content+License" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-ocl-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-ocl_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/19981206111937/http://www.opencontent.org/opl.shtml">"OpenContent License (OPL)"</a>. <i>opencontent.org</i>. <a href="/wiki/Open_Content_Project" class="mw-redirect" title="Open Content Project">Open Content Project</a>. 1998-07-14. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opencontent.org/opl.shtml">the original</a> on 1998-12-06<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2018-10-18</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=opencontent.org&rft.atitle=OpenContent+License+%28OPL%29&rft.date=1998-07-14&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opencontent.org%2Fopl.shtml&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOpen+Content+License" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-osi-list-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-osi-list_3-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://opensource.org/licenses/alphabetical">"Licenses by Name"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Open_Source_Initiative" title="Open Source Initiative">Open Source Initiative</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2018-10-19</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Licenses+by+Name&rft.pub=Open+Source+Initiative&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fopensource.org%2Flicenses%2Falphabetical&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOpen+Content+License" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFInc2000" class="citation book cs1">Inc, AUUG (28 June 2000). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=LrYoRLIEraEC&dq=%22open+content+license%22&pg=PA221"><i>AUUGN</i></a>. AUUG, Inc. p. 224.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=AUUGN&rft.pages=224&rft.pub=AUUG%2C+Inc.&rft.date=2000-06-28&rft.aulast=Inc&rft.aufirst=AUUG&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DLrYoRLIEraEC%26dq%3D%2522open%2Bcontent%2Blicense%2522%26pg%3DPA221&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOpen+Content+License" class="Z3988"></span> <span class="cs1-visible-error citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_book" title="Template:Cite book">cite book</a>}}</code>: </span><span class="cs1-visible-error citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">|last1=</code> has generic name (<a href="/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#generic_name" title="Help:CS1 errors">help</a>)</span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-grossman-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-grossman_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGrossman1998" class="citation news cs1">Grossman, Lev (1998-07-18). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20000619122406/http://www.time.com/time/digital/daily/0,2822,621,00.html">"New Free License to Cover Content Online"</a>. <i>Netly News</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.time.com/time/digital/daily/0,2822,621,00.html">the original</a> on 2000-06-19<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2010-12-27</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Netly+News&rft.atitle=New+Free+License+to+Cover+Content+Online&rft.date=1998-07-18&rft.aulast=Grossman&rft.aufirst=Lev&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.time.com%2Ftime%2Fdigital%2Fdaily%2F0%2C2822%2C621%2C00.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOpen+Content+License" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/19981206111937/http://www.opencontent.org/opl.shtml">"OpenContent License (OPL)"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opencontent.org/opl.shtml">the original</a> on 1998-12-06.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=OpenContent+License+%28OPL%29&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opencontent.org%2Fopl.shtml&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOpen+Content+License" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20000816071511/http://www.opencontent.org/announce.shtml">Updating the OpenContent License and Clarifying a Few Things</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/19981206111937/http://www.opencontent.org/opl.shtml">OpenContent License (OPL)</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20030802222546/http://opencontent.org/">OpenContent is officially closed. And that's just fine. </a> on opencontent.org (30 June 2003, archived)</span> </li> </ol></div></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Open_Content_License&oldid=1237263352">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Open_Content_License&oldid=1237263352</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Public_copyright_licenses" title="Category:Public copyright licenses">Public copyright licenses</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:1998_introductions" title="Category:1998 introductions">1998 introductions</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Open_content" title="Category:Open content">Open content</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_errors:_generic_name" title="Category:CS1 errors: generic name">CS1 errors: generic name</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_matches_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description matches Wikidata">Short description matches Wikidata</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 28 July 2024, at 23:05<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. 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