Hi Frank, Thank you form the additional details, as I hadn't realized that the image had been posted to Wikimedia Commons, thereby making it public domain. Anyhow, I see that the GNU license states that the author of the work must nevertheless be attributed, which as I understand is similar to the fair use rules for Copytighted files, so this shouldn't really change much when it comes to using the image in such cases. In regards to the "Bill Gottesman stance", it's an interesting concept, but it seems to me that the narrow triangle of light formed in this manner would be so short as to preclude any kind of precision in the reading of the time. Is this not correct? Lastly, having been present, would you have any actual images of the sundial that was unveiled at unveiled on Cambridge's Jesus Green? Thank you, Paul Ratto SunClocks North America 438-792-4823 www.sunclocks.net
On May 10, 2014, at 06:27, Frank King <frank.k...@cl.cam.ac.uk> wrote: > Dear Paul, > > Many thanks for your note on the use of > your Business Logo by a local Newspaper > here in Cambridge. > > I very much take all your points. I also > echo Steve Lelievre's comments. > > If you use someone else's photograph, > drawing or idea, then you should say > so even if the person is long dead and > the material is out of Copyright. > > In the case of your business logo I > took a look at: > > http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Analemmatic_%28Human_Sundial%29.png > > As you say in a follow-up, the author > of this image is Douglas Hunt. The > "permission status" is that it has > been released under the GNU Free > Documentation License. > > I guess that is all a Newspaper would > want to know. This image seems to be > free for anyone to use anyway they > like. > > The permission status seems to allow > you to modify the image too. As far > as I can tell, you COULD follow up > Mac Oglesby's suggestion. As ever, > he makes good sense! While you are > at it you could have the user taking > up the Bill Gottesman stance (which > I explain below). > > Of course, you should acknowledge all > three of Douglas, Mac and Bill. I > would myself! > > The GNU agreement for this kind of > permission status adds: > > Content in the public domain may not > have a strict legal requirement of > attribution ... but attribution is > recommended to give correct provenance. > > I would certainly give attribution if > I used this image and it would be to > Douglas Hunt. I am not quite sure > what your agreement is with him... > > On the sunclocks.net home page there > is no mention of Douglas Hunt against > the image. Shouldn't there be? > > Alas, I still do not know much about > this new sundial. I was present at > the opening, in pouring rain, and > no one I spoke to had the slightest > understanding of sundials. No one > could answer any of my questions > about the designer and/or maker. > > The idea seems to have been that of > Vernon McElroy who died in 2012. I > don't know whether he actually came > up with a drawing but I gather that > he did have some understanding of > sundials. > > I have heard that the stones were cut > by a company in York, England, but > they just did as asked. > > I spoke to the guy who laid the stones > but he was just following a drawing. > He didn't know what he was doing or > where the design came from! > > There is something much more worrying > about this story than merely using > your business Logo without any kind > of citation... > > At a cursory glance, the whole design > seems to be an implementation of the > Douglas Hunt image. The actual sundial > includes the outer ring running from > 7 to 6 rather than from 6 to 6. To > be sure Roman Numerals are used but > otherwise it looks like your Logo. > > You ask about the "Bill Gottesman stance". > > This is a rather frivolous example of my > own pedantry when it comes to citations! > > When I was at the NASS Asheville meeting > in 2012, Bill explained that when using > an analemmatic sundial, you should stand > with your feet just a few inches apart. > You then turn so that, through the shadows > of your legs, you get a very narrow triangle > of light on the ground. The tip of the > triangle indicates the time. > > This is a very simple idea but it wasn't > mine!! Maybe it wasn't Bill's either? > > Frank King > Cambridge, U.K. > --------------------------------------------------- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
