\maketitle \newcommand{\freepath}{free} \newcommand{\nonfreepath}{non-free} \begin{abstract} \begin{contentsmall} At \url{http://vektordb.lafkon.net} you can browse and download a collection of vector-based% \footnote{% Vector graphics describes the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, B\'{e}zier curves, and polygons to represent images in computer graphics. Inherent to vector graphics is a certain aesthetic that Jon Phillips describes with the five dominant features: Scalability, Reproducibility, Modularity, Precision and Abstraction.\cite{phillips:2004:vectoraesthetic} } images. The database first was intended as an online storage facility for \emph{personal use}, but also allowed \emph{use by third-party persons}. During the years the archive got recognized by a bigger audience and a redesign became necessary. % Right now the redesign includes also a broader approach % towards a \FLOSS inspired graphics repository. This redesign process led to a broader approach towards a \FLOSS~ inspired graphics repository. \end{contentsmall} \end{abstract} \keywords{\begin{contentsmall} graphic~design, open content, database \end{contentsmall}} \section{Introduction} In 2004 we% \footnote{% LAFKON is Christoph Haag and Benjamin Stephan. They are doing graphic~design at the moment. } put a repository online, containing graphical symbols and illustrations in vector format.% \footnotemark[1] Although the website was publicly browsable from the very beginning, it was not so much an \emph{open-content} project as a \emph{not-closed} personal archive, inspired by the ideas \emph{Creative Commons}% \footnote{% \emph{Creative Commons} can be credited for generating interest in the issue of intellectual property and contributing to the re-thinking of the role of the ``commons'' in the ``information age''.% \cite{wikipedia:cc}\\ Although there were earlier initiatives like e.g. \emph{copyleft\_attitude} with their Licence Art Libre, \emph{Creative Commons} were the first to attract broader attention. } was advocating at this time. We covered our own demand for easy accessible online storage, determined by spatial separation% % of home and work, north and south% % \footnote{% % at the time the VektorDB was launched, there was no common % LAFKON infrastructure for hosting project files. Online % storage was the simpliest solution to access files % independently from the current whereabout. % } , \textbf{plus} we invested a little time to build a web-based user interface, which made it easier to browse and access the collection. % \emph{By the way} we created an \emph{online service}. It was not our goal to build a \emph{service}, like a clipart library or stock art database,% \footnote{% There are projects like the \textbf{\emph{Open Clip Art Library}} that ``\textit{aims to create an archive of user contributed clip art that can be freely used}''\cite{ocal:2009:frontpage} or the project \textbf{\emph{Neubau Welt}} which ``\textit{is an extensive encyclopaedia of well over a thousand pictograms of everyday objects and obsessions large and small}''.\cite{gestalten:2005:neubauwelt} } intended to meet the demands of a broad audience. We just stored vector graphics online, that were not necessarily universal applicable, but experiments in techniques and thematics % and therefore quite individual. \begin{figure}[hbt] \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2005/LAFKON_050807--juchheisa.pdf} {135}{240}{145}{250}{.22\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2005/LAFKON_050807--juchheisa.pdf} {60}{60}{340}{340}{.22\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/hoffmann/LAFKON_080115--Cydonia_vulgaris.pdf} {230}{230}{250}{250}{.22\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/hoffmann/LAFKON_080115--Cydonia_vulgaris.pdf} {50}{50}{350}{350}{.22\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2006/LAFKON_061002--3a10507r.pdf} {185}{310}{225}{350}{.22\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2006/LAFKON_061002--3a10507r.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{400}{.22\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \caption{ \textbf{Different approaches to vectorization:} randomize a duotone raster, autotrace -line-threshold 4, gif-dithering with 50\% transparency. } \end{figure} % \pagebreak[4] % FORCE, NOT SO NICE % Graphics were produced und used ocassionaly and while the repository became known to a broader audience, needs were realized and lessons learned, what made us decide to launch a major re-release in 2009. \section{What's up to change?} Several issues showed up during the years. Main subjects were technical structure, file formats, interoperability and the licensing of the artworks. \subsection{License} In 2004 we were looking for a license, that would allow people to mash-up, sample and share our graphics. We decided to choose a license, which was back then freshly launched by \emph{Creative Commons (CC)} in collaboration with the experimental music and sound collage band\cite{wikipedia:negativland} \emph{Negativland}\cite{ccccip:2004:sampling+}: \begin{center} \vdbgraphic {i/a/utils/talks+papers/liwoli-2009/i/\nonfreepath/v/[LAFKON][XXXXXX]--template.pdf} {130}{0}{350}{20}{.45\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \end{center} The launch of \emph{Creative Commons Sampling License Plus} was combined with the publication of a cd-sampler, in cooperation with \emph{Wired Magazine}, including songs from musicians like \emph{Beastie Boys}, \emph{Thievery Corporation}, \emph{Le Tigre} or \emph{Matmos} who ``\emph{invited people to play with their tunes, not just play them}.''\cite{cc:2004:wiredcd} \\ The whole concept sounded appealing, including the possibility to transfer a mentality of collage and sampling from (electronic) music to graphic~design: \begin{quote} The rest is the remix. Unpack the meanings, unstuff the fragments\cite{Miller:2004:RhythmScience} \end{quote} \subsubsection{\emph{Then:} Sampling License Plus 1.0} \emph{ % Often "samples" consist of one Part of a song, % such as a break, used in another, % for instance the use of the drum introduction from Led Zeppelin's ``When the Levee Breaks'' in songs by the Beastie Boys, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mike Oldfield, Rob Dougan, Depeche Mode and Erasure, % and the guitar riffs from Foreigner's ``Hot Blooded'' % in Tone-Loc's ``Funky Cold Medina'' % . % "Samples" in this sense occur % often in industrial music, often using spoken words from movies, % and TV shows, % as well as electronic music, % (which developed out of the musique concr\`{e}te style, based almost entirely on samples and sample-like parts, % ), hip hop, developed from DJs repeating the breaks from songs.% \cite{wikipedia:sampling} }\\ % Sounds cool, did not work (\emph{for us}).\\ \emph{CC} promises an easy access to the understanding of open content licenses, but actually Sampling Plus 1.0 was nothing like this. \emph{Creative Commons} states in its license that you ``\emph{may not use this work to advertise for or promote anything but the work you create from it}''.\cite{cc:2008:sampling+} % This is quite rare in graphic design and futhermore difficult to define. Does a website design promote anything but itself? Is a poster design an independent artwork or does it advertise for something?\\ % The license states further: \begin{quote} \textbf{You are free:} \begin{itemize} \item To sample, mash-up, or otherwise creatively transform this work for commercial or noncommercial purposes. \item To perform, display, and distribute copies of this whole work for noncommercial purposes (e.g., file-sharing or noncommercial webcasting). \cite{cc:2008:sampling+} \end{itemize} \end{quote} Where starts \emph{creatively transform} and where \emph{copy as whole}? While \emph{copy as whole} seems quite easy to define, \emph{creative transformation} can be quite subjective. Is changing colors a creative transformation? Is rearrangment creative per se? Or to provide Mona Lisa with a nice moustache?% \footnote{% % http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformativeness When Marcel Duchamps did so, it was regarded as ``\emph{an example of a highly transformative work that accomplishes its transformative effect with what seems to be a minimum of added material}''.% \cite{wikipedia:transformativeness} But this happened in the world of art where different rules apply.\cite{cramer:2006:ccmisunderstanding} } % The grade of ``transformativeness'' poses a problem in % general as discussed in a \emph{CC} mailinglist: % % \begin{quote} % Suppose that I transform the original track by % completely hashing it into tiny pieces, and rearranged % them completely, but in fact, all of the original work % is still there. (either intentionally, or by accident). % % I believe that thus far I have obeyed the % % ``transformativeness'' requirement of the CC-Sampling. % % So, now I am completely free of restrictions on the % % derived work, and can re-license it as GPL. (?!) % \cite{hancock:2007:samplingclarification} % \end{quote} % % I believe that thus far I have obeyed the "transformativeness" % requirement of the CC-Sampling. So, now I am completely free of % restrictions on the derived work, and can re-license it as GPL. (?!) % % This then becomes part of my "source code" for the game, which will also % be GPL, and so there's no license conflict. % % When I ask to admit this package into Debian, they will be happy with % the GPL licensing. However, I already know that they will raise hell % about the CC-Sampling to GPL re-licensing step above (the (?!) step). % Yet, you say it's legit. % % http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/cc-licenses/2007-June/005831.html % % Debian has very good reasons to be very careful about closely checking % the terms of material that has in some way been incorporated into % software included in Debian. The transformativeness of the sampling % into the game, provided that it really is highly transformative, % suffices to launder away any restrictions on how it can subsequently be % used. Of course, what counts as "transformative" is not something that % we have extensive experience with, so I can understand erring on the % side of caution for something like Debian. But if we pass the % transformative test, everything subsequent is kosher. % % Everything, that is, except for the advertising clause. % % http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/cc-licenses/2007-June/005833.html % Only if your work has satisfied the definition of a transformatory work, you are allowed to use it commercially. % Otherwise you may just use it for non-commercial purposes.\\ While \emph{CC} wants to easify reuse, we have a primal distinction that's highly discussable in most cases (and we did often) and makes the adherence to the license difficult, % even more with \emph{CC}'s spongy definition of what is commercial and what is not.% \footnote{% Qualifies the a google banner ad as \emph{commercial use}? Do you really want to exclude this kind of users? \cite{moller:2006:nonccc} } % We made common% \footnote{% there is exact definition how to attribute, while the license states ``You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work)''\cite{cc:2008:sampling+}. This mistake can be found an many websites which sport a \emph{CC} lifestyle icon. } mistakes, which %led to a further lack of clarity and didn't make it easy for users to comply to the license. % and often \textbf{we ourselves} could not tell how a reasonable handling would function. The \textbf{simple} usage of our vectorgraphics, without legal borders, as \emph{CC} promissed, was basically \textbf{impossible}. The fieldtest of five years maintaining the vektorDB had proven that the Sampling License Plus 1.0 does not meet our demands. % Because we wanted to stick to certain preconditions, like explicit allowance of commercial usage, attribution of authors and ideally a copyleft, we neither wanted to release our works into the \emph{public domain}% \footnote{% The Open Clip Art Library is placed into the Public Domain\cite{ocal:2009:frontpage}% } nor did we want to choose a simplier, more restrictive \emph{CC} license.\\ % The possibility of commercial application is an important point, if you do not want to exclude a wide range of professional uses. % Additionally the border between professional and amateurs is in such an extent fuzzy % \footnote{freedomdefined essay blogger} these days, that a non-commercial clause can be a major problem for \emph{Free Licenses},% \footnote{% \emph{Free content is no longer a fringe movement -- it is something millions of people use every day. Wikipedia, a free content encyclopedia built by volunteers, contains over 10 million entries in more than 200 languages and is among the 10 most visited websites on the planet. Moreover, its growth continues, as does its integration into search engines. Google features Wikipedia definitions in some queries, as well as through the integration of Wikipedia mirror Answers.com in the top right corner of search results. Other search engines, such as Amazon.com's A9, Clusty.com, and Web.de have even integrated Wikipedia directly into their user interfaces.} \emph{This success is the result of less than a decade of work. Clearly, free content is here to stay. But, in part to make uses like the above possible, free content sites like Wikipedia explicitly allow and encourage commercial use. As we will see, there are many desirable commercial uses. More importantly, however, if you choose an -NC license, your work will not be compatible with Wikipedia, Wikinews, Wikibooks, and similar free content projects which have more permissive philosophies and practices.} \cite{freedomdefined:nc} % % Making it possible for the software to be used % for real-world problems, even when that means % working with non-free software. % \cite{wikipedia:dbsc} } not only for the CC licenses. % What bothered us most, regarding a donation to the public domain, was the fact, that it allows usage without giving the community something back, while we reckon this backflow as a crucial point for the leverage of \FLOSS. \\ We decided to stick to a copyleft license, but realised soon, that while guaranteeing commercial applicability and backflow, a copyleft license poses a major problem: If you use content under a copyleft license, the license's intension is to make every addition, change or improvement available again under copyleft. Imagine somebody wants to use a graphic from the vektorDB in a book? What must be copylefted? The whole book? The layout? The modified graphic? \subsubsection{\emph{Now:} Dual-Licensing}\medskip For the new licensing scheme for the vektorDB we want everybody to be able to use the graphics freely, in a sense of \FLOSS, % freely (like speech), % if they feel like % contributing to the ideology of \FLOSS, while at the same time we do not want to exclude and alienate people who are not so firm or ideological about \emph{FLOSS}. % (which still form a big part of our society). Beside our own interest in a \emph{Free Culture Movement}, we believe that in graphic~design there is definitely a use for \FLOSS~ alike solutions,% \footnote{% One could imagine, a demand for predefined, modifiable solutions (cf.~\emph{icons} or \emph{pictograms}) in commercial graphic~design. The time for commissioned work is often very short, what creates dependence on ready-made solutions (if there is not enough menpower to produce everything inhouse). At the moment this leads to the use of external resources e.g. \emph{commercial stock art libraries} or a loss of quality, but it would be easy to imagine a replacement or complement through a free (\emph{like speech and beer}) community ``code'' base here, similiar to \FLOSS. % Furthermore % a lot of commercial graphic design has a little range % (e.g. local newspapers) and lifetime (e.g. day-to-day % tv-broadcast stuff), what often does not justify big % budgets for the customers. % Designers could save time and money, while they can % redraw on common ``code'' base, while a gain in quality % through community based enhancements would serve all of us. % This pragmatic approach leads automatically to the % \emph{Free Software} vs. \emph{Open Source} discussion, % but while \emph{Open Source} is charged to lack political stance, % it has to be admitted that also \emph{Open Source Ideologists} % contribute to the \emph{Free Software} codebase, owed to the GPL % system of rules.\\ And there is a quite hedonistic reason. Through a \FLOSS~ approach you can realize and publish projects without the restrictions that commercial projects often impose on you:\\ ``\emph{In that world, the working programmer's normal experience includes being forced to use broken tools for political reasons, insane specifications, and impossible deadlines. It means living in Dilbert-land, only without the irony. It means sweating blood through the forehead to do sound work only to have it trashed, mangled, or buried by people who couldn't write a line of code to save their lives. If you love programming, trying to do work you can be proud of in this situation is heartbreaking. You know you could do better work if they'd just goddamn give you room to breathe.}''\cite{raymond:2008:hate} } % but we also recognize, that at most projects designers' work and customers' data are woven together in such an extent,% \footnote{% basically that's a technical problem that has to be solved through a strict separation of form and content } % that's it's quite impossible to copyleft them. \\ To shorten complicated discussions what's actually affected by copyleft (design,content, design+content) we decided at this point, if somebody does \textbf{not} want to \textbf{spend time} (and it costs actually time to think about how, what and why copyleft affects your work and why it's worth to engage in \FLOSS), they can \textbf{spend money} instead. \\ We choose a dual-licensing approach% \footnote{% % % \textbf{MySQL Commercial License for OEMs, ISVs and VARs} % For example \emph{Sun provides its MySQL database server and MySQL Client Libraries under a dual license model designed to meet the development and distribution needs of both commercial distributors % (such as OEMs, ISVs and VARs) and open source projects. % % \textbf{For OEMs, ISVs, VARs and Other Distributors % of Commercial Applications:} [...] % OEMs, ISVs, VARs and other Distributors that combine and distribute commercially licensed software with MySQL software and do not wish to distribute the source code for the % commercially licensed software under version 2 % of the GNU General Public License (the "GPL") under the GNU General Public License must enter into a commercial license agreement with Sun. % % \textbf{For Open Source Projects and Other Developers % of Open Source Applications:} [...] For developers of Free Open Source Software ("FOSS") applications under the GPL that want to combine and distribute those FOSS applications with MySQL software, Sun's MySQL open source software licensed under the GPL is the best option. % % For developers and distributors of open source software % under a FOSS license other than the GPL, Sun makes its % GPL-licensed MySQL Client Libraries available under a % FOSS Exception that enables use of the those MySQL % Client Libraries under certain conditions without % causing the entire derivative work to be subject to % the GPL. % % \newline \cite{mysql:license} % }} that combines strict copyleft% \footnote{ a license that meets the standards of \emph{Freedom Defined} } with a standard copyright agreement through a usage fee for closed-source requirements. As an example serves how MySQL, now Sun, combines an opensource license with a non-opensource license, without them violating each other. % MySQL offers two licenses for its code repository. \begin{quote} MySQL AB sells non-GPL commercial licenses for embedded and other applications. A non-GPL commercial license allows a user to resell a product that contains MySQL code without GPLing the entire application, and it does not violate GPL rules or intentions. \cite{cohen:2007:mysql} \end{quote} % In the first model, a single entity such as MySQL is % responsible for the overwhelming majority of all development % on a given codebase. Anything they don’t produce themselves, % they license. Very often this is practiced in conjunction % with the dual-license model; because MySQL is responsible % for virtually all of the development of the core code, % they own or have licensed appropriately all of the involved % IP. As such, they’re free to issue commercial licenses to % those who would cannot or choose not to comply with the terms % of the open source license - the GPL, in this case. % % In the second model, multiple entities collaborate on a given % piece of code, each contributing under the same terms to the % overall project itself. The canonical example of this style % of development is Linux, to which firms and individuals alike % contribute to the betterment of the overall project. % Because there is no one single ``owner'' of the IP involved in % co-developed projects, the dual-license model is not an option: % you can’t uniquely license, after all, what you don’t own. % % http://redmonk.com/sogrady/2007/04/30/correcting_the_record/ % % Aber warum also sollte ein Kunde dann für eine kommerzielle Lizenz % zahlen, wenn er die Software doch auch kostenlos herunterladen kann? % Zwei Vorteile bietet die kommerzielle Lizenz: Support und Zertifizierung, % bei wichtigeren Datenbankanwendungen kaum verzichtbar % (siehe dazu den Artikel Zertifizierung als Geschäftsmodell); % und die Möglichkeit, eigene proprietäre Anwendungen mit MySQL zu koppeln, % was bei der Open-Source-Version nicht möglich ist. Die GPL, unter der MySQL % steht, erzwingt das Offenlegen jeglichen Codes, der gegen die % MySQL-Bibliotheken gelinkt wird. % % http://www.heise.de/open/MySQL-Die-freie-Wahl--/artikel/72193 According to the dual-licensing there are two possibilities in our case: \begin{itemize} \item You choose a free license (GPL,GFDL,CC-BY-SA) and you are free to use, to study, to make and redistribute copies, to make changes and improvements, if you share alike, according to the license. \item You choose the commercial license, pay a fee and you are allowed to use the image according to a standard copyright license. \end{itemize} Through charging a usage fee, commercial and closed-source requirements of a graphic~designer's daily needs can be satisfied, while at the same time a \textbf{free archive}, free as in \emph{Free Culture}, can be maintained without compromises. And while the \textbf{free archive} grows bigger, the incentive for commercial graphic~design to contribute to a \emph{pool} of \emph{Free Culture} will also grow bigger.% \footnote{% % \FLOSS~ is not at last attractive for programmers on a % commercial level because they can save time and work % while they draw back on the \FLOSS~ pool, while maintain % a certain quality, and that's a need we also see in the % daily design pratice. \emph{Je umfangreicher und attraktiver die \"{o}ffentliche Bibliothek von GPL-lizenziertem Programmcode wird, desto gr\"{o}\ss{}er ist auch der Anreiz f\"{u}r Programmierer, sich ihr zu bedienen und damit nolens volens zu ihr beizutragen.} \cite{cramer:2002:opencontent} } The main difficulty in dual-licensing is, that you can only dual-license something that you own all rights for. % If e.g. MySQL wants to include code contributed by the community, the contributor has to resign from his rights e.g. sign an agreement. % That procedure is quite laborious and the cause why code submissions into MySQL's repository are quite rare. In our case that does not really pose a problem, because at the moment we are more or less the sole contributor to the graphics database. \\ Even if we host contributions, the database is modular enough to differentiate at bottom level. A different license can be assigned to each graphic. We can have a dual license for some graphics, while others % mash-ups and contributions can be published exclusively under \emph{Free Licenses}. % Nevertheless we encourage people to % republish under mulitple licenses % if that's legally possible. \paragraph{Copyleft Triple Licensing} Because there exits a variety of different \emph{Free Cultural} licenses, we are looking for a solution that guarantees compatibility with \emph{the most common} \emph{Free Licenses}. Copyleft licenses prescribe derivative works to be republished under the exact \textbf{same} license. Therefore different licenses automatically exclude each other. \\ \textbf{Example:} \\ Wikipedia is licensed under the GFDL, which prescribes, that everything that is licensed under the GFDL, must stay under the GFDL. \\ If our graphics would be licensed solely under the CC-BY-SA (SA stands for Share-Alike and determines that derivative works must be published under the same license) it would be impossible to combine vektorDB graphics and wikipedia content, because one license would be violated anyway. Because we license our graphics under GFDL \textbf{and} CC-BY-SA, you can choose the \textbf{GFDL} in this case, without violating our terms. \\ Although the GFDL is widespread, it is unfortunately a license which is not easy to understand. Therefore a lot of people, who are not so familiar with a \emph{Free Culture} approach, tend to choose different licenses, e.g. a \emph{Creative Commons} license. \\ In general there are cases where one license does simply fit better (\emph{for a special purpose}) than another. \\ \textbf{Example:} \\ To comply to the GFDL you have to attach a copy of the license, about 3 A4 pages. This is no problem for a book with 1000 pages, but what about a single photography? \cite{wikimedia:mehrfachlizenzierung} % % If the GFDL would be our single license % that would make all our works incompatible with % everything \emph{not} published under the GFDL, % \begin{figure}[hbt] % \caption{Flow of Licenses} % \vdbgraphic{i/v/VDB_Licensing_Figure-1.pdf} % {0}{0}{400}{400}{.45\textwidth} % {0pt} % BORDER % % \begin{tabular}{p{.25\textwidth}p{.2\textwidth}} % % \textbf{Multilicensed} & \textbf{Singlelicensed} \\ % can be multilicensed again \textbf{and} singlelicensed, % therefore it can be combined with single \textbf{and} mulitlicensed content % & % what's singlelicensed stays singlelicensed, % therefore you can not recombine with multilicensed stuff.\\ % % \end{tabular} % \label{fig:licenseflow} % \end{figure} To prevent a one-way-trap through exclusive single-licensing, a common pratice is to choose multiple licenses. \\ We choose three licenses which all meet the requirements of \emph{Freedom Defined}:% \footnote{% The definition was initiated by Erik M\"{o}ller as a means to resolve ambiguity about the phrase ``free content'' in the context of the Wikimedia project family. It was inspired by the Free Software Definition.% \cite{freedomdefined:history} } % \begin{flushleft} \textbf{GNU General Public} License,\\ \textbf{GNU Free Documentation} License,\\ \textbf{CreativeCommons-Attribution-ShareAlike} License.\\ \end{flushleft} % With these three licenses, we keep three directions open. As soon, as a licensee selects \emph{one} license, only \emph{one} license can apply from there on (cf.~Figure~\ref{fig:licenseflow}). % To prevent this, we encourage people to also triple-license resulting works, if possible. Seems complicated, but actually it isn't that bad. \begin{figure*}[p] \begin{tabular}{p{.25\textwidth}p{.24\textwidth} p{.25\textwidth}p{.2\textwidth}} \begin{flushleft} \textbf{Single Licenses}\newline e.g. @flickr (\emph{CC-BY-SA}),\newline a lot of software (\emph{GPL}) \end{flushleft} & \begin{flushleft} \textbf{Multiple Licenses}\newline e.g. vektorDB (\emph{GPL, GFDL, CC-BY-SA}) \end{flushleft} & \begin{flushleft} \textbf{Single License}\newline e.g. Wikipedia (\emph{GFDL}) \end{flushleft} & ~ \\ \end{tabular} \vfill \begin{tabular}{p{.8\textwidth}p{.2\textwidth}} \vdbgraphic {i/a/utils/talks+papers/liwoli-2009/i/\freepath/v/VDB_Licensing_Figure-2.pdf} {0}{0}{597}{841}{.8\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER & ~\vspace*{35mm}\newline \begin{flushleft}Single-licensed content merged/combined with multi-licensed content produces single-licensed content.\newline We recommend to triple-license your works before merging with single-licensed content (\textbf{transformation before combination}). \\ 3 licenses provide more compatibility for future uses. \end{flushleft} \\ \begin{small} \textbf{Example}:\newline You transform a graphic from the vektorDB (triple-licensed) to combine it with a Wikipedia-article (GFDL only). The combination of the graphic and the article \textbf{must} be licensed under the GFDL, For the transformed graphic, you as the licensor, have the right to license the graphic under GFDL \textbf{and} GPL \textbf{and} CC-BY-SA. This way it can be combined with CC-BY-SA works or included into GPLed software. \newline The combination, by force solely under GFDL, can only be combined with GFDLed content. \end{small} \end{tabular} \caption{Flow of Licenses} \label{fig:licenseflow} \end{figure*} \subsection{Structural changes} Beside the relicensing, chance is taken to improve the structure in general. \subsubsection{Clearing contents} For a proper appliance of the licenses we cleaned the database from \emph{possible} copyright violations. There were several files which could be acceptable in an art context,% \footnote{% \emph{Kurt Schwitters was not sued for collaging the logo of German Commerzbank into his ``Merz'' painting which yielded his ``Merz'' art. Neither did Andy Warhol receive injunctions for using Coca Cola's and Campbell's trademarks. As long as these symbols remained inside the art world, they did not raise corporate eyebrows.} \cite{cramer:2006:ccmisunderstanding} } but which were highly dubious when it comes to relicensing (cf.~Figure~\ref{fig:industry}). We took the chance to clean the database from copyright violation. \begin{quote} Non-free copyrighted material cannot be freely incorporated into one's work no matter what license one choses. Even worse, the opposite is true: copyright owners are most likely to categorically refuse clearance for anything that will be put into free circulation because the license of the work incorporating their's would effectively relicense the former.\cite{cramer:2006:ccmisunderstanding} \end{quote} \begin{figure}[hbt] \vdbgraphic {i/a/utils/talks+papers/liwoli-2009/i/\nonfreepath/v/[LAFKON][050306]--industry.pdf} {0}{100}{400}{300}{.45\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \caption{copyright violating graphic made for the animation movie \emph{\textbf{Trusted Computing}}} \label{fig:industry} \end{figure} % Regarding a broader audience we had also % to think about some technical changes. \subsubsection{\emph{Then:} Closed-Source Fileformats} The initial fileformat for the vektordb was \emph{Adobe}'s Illustrator format (.ai). Unfortunately \emph{.ai}-files were incompatible or difficult to handle with \FLOSS~ and therefore excluded many uses and users. \medskip \begin{footnotesize} \begin{flushleft} \begin{tabular}{lp{.3\textwidth}} & anyone here that has Adobe Illustrator and willing to transcode a few images? \\ & BjornW, I don't, but I'm curious what sort of image can only be read by photoshop \\ & mlinksva: stupid .ai files, \newline which make inkscape choke. Check here: \newline http://vektordb.lafkon.net/index.php \\ & mlinksva: pretty cool images perfect for my presentation, but the ai files cannot be read by inkscape, which sucks :/ \\ & oh, i misread illustrator as photoshop :) \\ & those are some cool images \\ & mlinksva: yeah, but they won't work on inkscape and I have no clue why not \\ & mlinksva: would be great to have these images available as svg :) \\ & BjornW, have you tried ill2svg?\newline http://inkscape.org/tools.php \\ & mlinksva: not yet, will try now. Thanks! \newline \cite{irc:2007:vdbinkscape}\\ \end{tabular} \end{flushleft} \end{footnotesize} Not only to stop an outlock of users, but also regarding sustainability, we change from the proprietary \emph{.ai} format to open standards, centering ``\emph{distribution radically upon the possibility to be spread, viewed and modified with entirely free means, at the expense even of technically smoother or more integrated proprietary standard solutions.}''% \cite{cramer:2002:openinarts} \subsubsection{\emph{Now:} Open standards} All graphics have been converted to open vector formats \emph{PDF} and \emph{SVG}. \emph{Portable Document Format} (\emph{PDF}) was \emph{created by \emph{Adobe Systems} in 1993 for document exchange.} It is used for \emph{representing two-dimensional documents in a manner independent of the application software, hardware, and operating system.} While formerly a \emph{proprietary format, PDF was officially released as an open standard on July 1, 2008, and published by the ISO as ISO 32000-1:2008}.''% \cite{wikipedia:pdf} \emph{Scalable Vector Graphics} (\emph{SVG}) is an open standard, developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) since 1999. ``\emph{SVG images and their behaviours are defined in XML text files. This means that they can be searched, indexed, scripted and, if required, compressed.}''% \cite{wikipedia:svg} \emph{SVG} is widely supported and can be visually edited, amongst others, with the \emph{Free Software} \emph{Inkscape} on GNU/Linux, OS X and Windows. As an open standard it can be used within many applications, e.g. it can be directly imported as vector% \footnote{ The svg candy library by Michael Chang \cite{chang:2006:candy}, worked at the time only with svgs exported from Adobe Illustrator.\\ We wrote a GNU/Linux-based conversion utility, to be found at\\ \url{ http://www.forkable.eu/vektorconverters/v4p5.sh }.\\ It supports also currents \emph{Processing}'s PShape() } shapes into \emph{Processing}% \footnote{% % Ben Fry describes \emph{Processing} as follows % \begin{enumerate} % \item a web site % \item a programming environment for learning computational design. % \item a sketchbook for rapidly protoyping [...] % % the type of work you see here % \item a new 2D and 3D graphics api and rendering engine for java % \item an open project started by casey reas and myself % \item an active community of a few thousand people [...] % % who are using the software. % \cite{fry:2008:aboutprocessing} % \end{enumerate} \emph{Processing} is a \emph{ a web site, a programming environment for learning computational design, a sketchbook for rapidly protoyping [...]% % the type of work you see here , a new 2D and 3D graphics api and rendering engine for java, an open project started by casey reas and myself an active community of a few thousand people [...] % who are using the software. } \cite{fry:2008:aboutprocessing} } sketches. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% % \section{\emph{Further on:} Forkable} While the old vektorDB was more or less a webfrontend, the \emph{broadened} approach towards a \FLOSS~\emph{inspired graphics repository} also includes the opening of the internal structure. % This internal structure holds not only the graphics of the vektorDB, but is a collection of \emph{utilities}, \emph{generators} and \emph{code} for the experimental treatment of graphic. The directory tree is browsable at \url{http://www.forkable.eu}. \\ The collection is a mirror of a working production enviroment and serves at the same time as an instrument for the documentation, traceability and opening of a working process. It is centered around hackability through human-readability% \footnote{% This attempt ranges between the desire to work with openformats and the discovery of the power of plaintext notification, respectivly the power of plaintext manipulation. } and interconnectivity through modularity. \\ Regarding readability, we are in favor of plaintext notation, so files can be read, scripted and processed with the palette of common unix tools. \begin{quote} % Another major tenet of the philosophy % is to use plain text % (i.e., human readable alphanumeric characters) % rather than binary files % (which are not fully human readable) to the % extent possible for the inputs and outputs of % programs and for configuration files. This is because plain text is a universal interface; that is, it can allow programs to easily interact with each other in the form of text outputs and inputs. % in contrast to the % difficulty that they would have if each used % mutually incompatible binary formats and because % such files can be easily interfaced with humans. The latter means that it is easy for humans to study, correct, improve and extend such files as well as to port (i.e., modify) them to new platforms (i.e., other combinations of operating systems and hardware). \cite{linfo:2006:unixbriefly} \end{quote} % http://www.linfo.org/unix_philosophy.html Text as interface lays also the foundation for enough modularity to interconnect things like GNU/Linux, \LaTeX, \emph{Processing} and human beings. While \emph{Forkable} is currently on a test run there have been some projects realised. % In regular intervals several scripts produce graphics as variations or replacements for different purposes. \emph{Bashscripts} combine different functionalities e.g. unix tools and java applications written in \emph{Processing}. \lstset{language=Bash} \lstinputlisting[firstline=19,lastline=155 ] {i/a/generators/minimarticls/minimarticls.sh} These examples should give an idea. \begin{figure*}[hp] % % \vdbgraphic % {i/a/utils/talks+papers/liwoli-2009/i/\nonfreepath/v/plakatlac2008_A3_01.pdf} % {0}{0}{842}{1191}{.4\paperwidth} % {1pt} % BORDER % \vdbgraphic{i/v/plakat/plakatlac2008_A3_02.pdf} % {0}{0}{842}{1191}{.4\paperwidth} % {1pt} % BORDER % \vdbgraphic {i/a/utils/talks+papers/liwoli-2009/i/\nonfreepath/v/plakatlac2008_A3_05.pdf} {0}{0}{842}{1191}{1.0\textwidth} {1pt} % BORDER % \vdbgraphic{i/v/plakat/plakatlac2008_A3_09.pdf} % {0}{0}{842}{1191}{.4\paperwidth} % {1pt} % BORDER % \caption{ Generative Poster for the Linux Audio Conference 2008, one of 1000s automatically generated variations } \end{figure*} \subsection{\url{www.forkable.eu/generators/lacmachine}} \begin{figure}[hbt] % \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/HARP_1_0_0_1_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/NOTENHEF_1_1_0_1_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/TRUMPET_1_1_1_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/WHOLLY_0_0_1_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/TROET_1_0_1_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/CONNEC_0_1_1_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/CONNE_1_1_1_1_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/2SKREI_1_0_1_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/BL_0_0_1_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/TRUMPE_1_0_1_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/SAXO_1_1_1_1_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/HOLLYWOOD_0_0_0_1_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/VIOLIN_1_0_1_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/PELIKA_1_0_1_1_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/HOLLYWOO_1_0_1_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/HOLLYWO_0_1_0_1_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/SILHOUETT_1_1_1_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/SAXOPH_1_1_0_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/FLOWCONN_1_1_1_1_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/HOLLYWOOD_0_0_1_1_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/SAXOPHON_0_1_1_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/BLU_0_0_1_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/ADAPT_1_1_1_1_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/CLARNECT_1_0_1_0_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/FLOWCONNECT_1_1_1_1_.pdf} {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER % % \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/PUREDAT_1_0_1_0_.pdf} % {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} % {0pt} % BORDER % \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/2SKREIS_0_1_0_1_.pdf} % {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} % {0pt} % BORDER % \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/HOLLYWOOD_1_0_1_1_.pdf} % {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} % {0pt} % BORDER % \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/CLOCK_1_0_1_0_.pdf} % {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} % {0pt} % BORDER % \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/POSAUNE_0_1_1_0_.pdf} % {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} % {0pt} % BORDER % % \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/TRUMPET_0_1_0_1_.pdf} % {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} % {0pt} % BORDER % \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/CONNECT_1_1_1_0_.pdf} % {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} % {0pt} % BORDER % \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/BLUME_0_0_1_0_.pdf} % {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} % {0pt} % BORDER % \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/CONNECT_1_0_0_1_.pdf} % {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} % {0pt} % BORDER % \graphic{i/a/stock/2007/pipemusic/TROMBL_0_0_1_0_.pdf} % {70}{70}{130}{130}{.063\textwidth} % {0pt} % BORDER % \caption{ Parts for generative posters } \end{figure} In 2007 \emph{LAFKON} created an graphical identity for the Linux Audio Conference 2008. Additional to flyer, program, website and logo, \emph{generative} posters were developed. These posters are automatically generated via a \emph{BASH}/\emph{Processing} routine. This routine selects illustrations from the vektorDB, layouts them and stores print-ready \emph{PDF}s online. % % Key visual is an absurd, interconnected % instrument illustrating the approach % of \emph{Linux Audio}. % Posters are under standard copyright, while generators and modular illustrations are free to use, to study, to make and redistribute copies, to make changes and improvements. % \subsection{\url{www.forkable.eu/releases/osk}} % % This was the first experiment in % \LaTeX. % Quite simple use and testing of. % \LaTeX's possibilities. % % \lstset{language=[LaTeX]TeX} % \begin{lstlisting} % % \newcommand\annotation[1]{ % \deffootnote[1.5em]{1.5em}{1em}{\textsuperscript{}} % \footnotetext{\normalsize{#1}} % } % % % CHAPTERTITLES % \newcommand\pdftitle[1]{ % \color{white} % \vspace*{15mm} % \begin{flushright} % {\fontfamily{phv}\selectfont\textbf{\Huge{#1}}} % \end{flushright} % } % % \end{lstlisting} % % Kind of a hack, this macro % allows to draw text on pdfpages % to get a opening page for each % chapter. % % \begin{lstlisting} % % \includepdf[scale=0.99,offset=10 0,pagecommand={ % \pdftitle{background}}] % {i/c/chapter_background.pdf} % % \end{lstlisting} % % Included images, compiled PDFs % are stored online and available % under the GFDL. % \subsection{\url{www.forkable.eu/generators}} % % In regular intervals scripts produce % replacements for graphics in the vektorDB. % \\ % Commands are stored in \emph{bashscripts} % and combine, in general, unix-utilities and % java applications written in \emph{Processing}. % % \lstset{language=Bash} % \lstinputlisting[firstline=13,lastline=143 ] % {i/minimarticls.sh} % \pagebreak[4] % FORCE, NOT SO NICE % \subsection{\url{www.forkable.eu/generators/minimarticls/}} \emph{minimartcls} generates a simple graphic through a feedback-driven particle system. \smallskip \begin{small} \url{http://www.forkable.eu/generators/minimartcls} \url{http://www.forkable.eu/stock/2007/minimartcls} \end{small} \smallskip \noindent Code and graphics are online and free. \begin{figure}[hbt] \begin{center} \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2007/minimarticls/LAFKON_Mivimarticls.pdf} {0}{0}{400}{400}{.35\textwidth} {1pt} % BORDER \caption{Automatically generated vector graphic} \end{center} \end{figure} \subsection{\url{www.forkable.eu/generators/elytrigia}} \emph{elytrigia} loads vektorDB graphics, layouts them according to a growing algorithm, generates a graphic and stores it in the vektorDB. \bigskip \begin{small} \url{http://www.forkable.eu/generators/elytrigia} \url{http://www.forkable.eu/stock/2008/elytrigia} \end{small} \vfill \begin{figure}[hbt] % \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Aicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Bicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Cicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Dicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Eicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Ficro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER % \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Gicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Hicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Iicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Jicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Kicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Licro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER % \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Micro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Nicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Oicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Picro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Qicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Ricro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER % \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Uicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Ticro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Sicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Vicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Wicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \vdbgraphic{i/a/stock/2008/micro/LAFKON_080930--Xicro.pdf} {0}{20}{380}{380}{.056\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER % \vspace*{-10mm} \caption{ Scalable Vector Graphics called by the \emph{Processing} sketch \emph{elytrigia} } \end{figure} \begin{figure*}[p] \vdbgraphic {i/a/utils/talks+papers/liwoli-2009/i/\freepath/v/LAFKON_Elytrigie.pdf} {140}{110}{300}{280}{1.0\textwidth} {0pt} % BORDER \caption{ Graphic generated by the script \url{http://www.forkable.eu/generators/elytrigia} } \end{figure*} \clearpage \section{Conclusion} Our primary goal is doing graphic~design, not writing software or doing webhosting. But graphic~design, in our perception, is closely connected with the experiment on tools.% \footnote{% As historical reference one could mention inventions that were made for graphical reproduction, e.g. letterpress or lithography } Nowadays, if you want to experiment on tools there seems to be no way around \FLOSS. In the spirit of experimentation our primary intension is not cloning classical graphic~design tools for GNU/Linux,% \footnote{% like Inkscape as a replacement for \emph{Illustrator} or Scribus for \emph{InDesign} (both from \emph{Adobe}) } but learning through looking at \textbf{graphic~design in a different way}.% \footnote{% A big inspiration had been an approach that's described as the \emph{unix way}. You could write much more here, but because that won't be done, just some buzzwords: \textbf{ modularity, text as universal interface, release early, release often, avoid hand-hacking, % Rule of Generation: Avoid hand-hacking; write programs % to write programs when you can. there is no rule 6} \cite{raymond:artuonelesson} } \section{Acknowledgements} I would like to thank Benjamin Stephan for advice and help on this paper and in general for the creative work on the vektorDB. \bigskip