Craig Dickson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Branden Robinson wrote: > > > On Mon, Dec 02, 2002 at 12:20:26PM -0500, Jim Penny wrote: > > > So, can a standard be DSFG free? > > > > Strictly speaking, no. A standard is an idea, or a collection of ideas. > > There are many ways to express an idea, so there are many ways to > > express a standard. Some of these expressions may receive copyright > > protection. > > The correct question, I think, is "Can a standards _document_ be DFSG > free?" I think it could be, but most probably are not; a standards > document is usually copyrighted by the organization that governs the > standard, and in the absence of an explicit grant of the right to make > derivative works, such a document would not be DFSG free (to the best of > my understanding).
Yes, this is true. However, it does not follow that an *implementation* of a standard is non-free merely because the standards document is not. Generally speaking, there is no relationship here at all.