Copyright / Copyleft

Welcome to the db-wg list. Lets start with something formalistic.

One open point at the Paris meeting was a copyright statement to the DB 
and a position about database ownership. Due to some acute concerns 
about actual junk mail abuse we need a warning message. The NCC together
with the RIPE and the DB WG chairmen have drafted the following warning:

# Restricted rights.
#
# Except for agreed Internet operational purposes, no part of this publication
# may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form
# or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without
# prior permission of RIPE.
#
# Any use of this material to target advertising or similar activities are
# expressedly forbidden and will be prosecuted. RIPE requests to be notified
# of any such activities or suspicions thereof.

This text will be prepended to all copies of the full database and in
the Interactive information server access to the DB. Including it in the
whois output would have us alterately roasted by flames and deafened
by roaring laughter.

The purpose of this is to tell people "you should not abuse the data, 
especially not for mailings" and to be able to tell them 
"you have been warned" when they actually do.

Note that this consciously leaves open:

	- the ownership issue of the database

	- the concrete specification of "agreed Internet operational purposes"
	  which would fill pages and pages

	- if and in what way action will be taken should abuse happen,
	  the prosecution threat is in there just to make clear we really
	  mean it in case of advertising

I do not think it is worth our while to spend much effort on discussing
the particular wording etc. pp. So I ask you to comment to me privately 
and I will summarise and propose a new wording if this should be necessary
which I hope will not be the case. 

NB: RIPE still has to take a position on the ownership issue. 

Daniel