Re: Font license issues

[Gregg Reynolds <gar at arabink dot com>]

Meor Ridzuan Meor Yahaya wrote:

> So, this problem applies to the Quran XML files as well. I don't think
> we can distribute it using GPL. We need something that will be adopted
> by OSS distributor , but without some illegal modification that will
> compromise the data.
>
> SO far, I don't have any suggestion /solution. Maybe others might have
> a better suggestion.

I'm not sure about the font licensing.  Take a look at the Bitstream 
Vera license: http://www.gnome.org/fonts/.

For the XML text, have you looked at the GNU documentation licenses?  If 
memory serves me, they contain provisions that may address some of your 
concerns.  Also check out the creative commons:  http://creativecommons.org/

Have you contacted anybody at the Free Software Foundation or Creative 
Commons?  I'll bet their legal people would find this issue of balancing 
an open license with the need to ensure authenticity and traceability of 
the Quranic text very interesting.  You might be able to convince them 
to do some pro bono work.

I think it would be helpful if you wrote up a (quasi-) formal paper of a 
few pages discussing the issues you've mentioned informally here.  The 
goal would be to explain in clear, simple language the issues involved 
and how the licensing applies.  That might help you get some 
lawyer-types interested in helping out, and when you do release the text 
into the world you can include your document as a required part of the 
package, so it will always accompany the text.

-gregg