OpenEZ Plans update, pdf

[Jon Matcho]

I always find it so very interesting to hear these firsthand stories from conversations with Burt. The other I recall is the fellow who won lunch with Burt at Scaled.

 

I had always wondered what "authorized" meant and suspected that Burt would never have given up any major rights like that by default. This definitely fills in some gaps for me, and if you look at the biggest value of the TERF CD (the OCR'd fully searchable with "original ink") Candard Pusher newsletters, it makes even more sense. The concern was for safety at the time, and somehow the TERF project got a little bigger.

 

He was not aware that TERF was still distributing them.

Speaking with the owner of TERF, after he had given me a call to find out what the heck was happening, I think TERF was barely aware they were distributing them as well. That is, until the Open-EZ came along.

 

For the record, the TERF CD has the absolute best implementation of electronic Candard Pushers that I know of. It's beyond OCR in that it preserves the original print (w/pictures) by layering the text on top of the scanned images. I would be upset, as well as would be TERF, to see their electronic files out on the 'net -- they put in a lot of work to produce the CP PDFs.

 

On the other hand, they simply scanned the Long-EZ manual (without OCR) and included on the CD.

[brainfart]

Then why don't you ask Mr. Rutan to release the whole shebang into the public domain?

[SAF_Zoom]

Well if the ownwer of an intellectual property indicate that he has NO intention of enforcing is rights AND that he has acted accordingly in the past regarding such intellectual property...

 

Then by all means proceed...

 

So let's get to work... they seem to be NO grey areas left.... As Marc indicated Terf as no right to the intellectual property other than to distribute the material. If you rewrite significant it then its not the same material...

 

Finally with all the builder website out there all picture can be updated (with the builders permission... if they copyrighted their pictures...). But for thing to be made in the best spirit builders should always be ask before you "borrow" their work...

[SAF_Zoom]

Then why don't you ask Mr. Rutan to release the whole shebang into the public domain?

By indicating that he would not enforce his rights.... he did...

[cweiss]

Is it time for Aiman to make the plans available again?

[Aiman]

Is it time for Aiman to make the plans available again?

It's unlikely that I will make the plans available again in their entirety. Trust me, I wasn't even CLOSE to done with them. I may make certain parts of them available (cover page design which was completely my work, the license agreement, and a select few other pages).

By indicating that he would not enforce his rights.... he did...

Actually, I completely disagree. Choosing to release something into the public domain (giving up your rights to it) is completely different than retaining your rights to something and not choosing to enforce them.

 

Again, I want to stress that I think that this should be a full rewrite. For twofold reasons:

 

1. To respect Burts rights as the author of the original plans, we must make something substantially different.

 

2. In the VERY remote case that he has a change of heart and decides to start enforcing his rights, we would all be on the hook for violations.

 

In order for this project to have maximum value, we must not be viewed as, or accused of being thieves or copyright violators.

 

That being said: Let's move FORWARD!

[Vortal]

I think by changing the format (ie from pdf to wiki) the content will necessarily change content to adapt with the media, adding new modern photos, updated composite building technics and materials, you are substancialy changing the content. also i think it would be a good idea to maybe add comments or mods of experienced builders that have built the aircraft since the last CP and add the changes in the wiki.

By the way changes must be highly visible ("was is", date of changes at least eventualy reason for change as a link or a info text buble) and people must be informed real time of the changes

 

as aiman said : Let's get moving

[cweiss]

Well... if anyone wishes to provide me a copy of the TERF CD, I promise to use it to contribute to the rewriting the plans for the purposes of this project.

I will maintain your anonymity if desired.

[SAF_Zoom]

EDIT

 

Needed 10 caracters

[Bruce]

I talked with Terf today and I explained to him what Burt had said. The short story from Terf is, he has the exclusive rights to sell and distribute the plans of all the models he carries in his CD's (LongEZ, Defiant, etc.) and he has a signed paper from Burt that states that. I asked if he would copy that document to his web site and he said he would be glad to do just that. It would be sometime around Christmas before he could make that happen. This arrangement was made many years ago and the paper work isn't right at hand.

 

The one thing he did not have permission to sell are the templates, which would make it a complete set of plans and without the templates being included, his liability goes down to almost nothing. As stated on his CD's, this material is for educational use only.

 

For those that do not have his address...

 

http://dragonaero.com/

 

Now, I think it's up to him.

 

 

Bruce

[mfryer]

Burt's recollection is that TERF started distributing the plans without permission, although Burt told them to at least tell people not to build airplanes from them, and they do that. He was not aware that TERF was still distributing them.

I have been studying the CPs lately and I noticed that they advertise the RAF CD-ROM encyclopedia and indeed they do advertise that the plans are included.

 

So RAF or whomever at RAF was preparing the CPs at the time should have been aware that the CDs did contain plans as well as the other information contained on CD1.

[JTest]

G'day all

 

First I want to say if you or anybody you know is using the TERF CD to build the OPEN EZ (like I am) and building the Roncz Canard (like I thought I was); DO NOT use the plans Chapter 10 or 11. The Roncz Canard build is different!

 

I have been told that if an educational copy of the AeroCanard is available it is the best set of plans (oh, if anybody has a copy for educational purposes I would like a copy to review).

 

I want to thank a couple of members that pointed out my Chapter 11 Elevator Tubes needed the inserts cut before being attahed to the foam cores. The bad news is it was after I had applied the top skins....

 

We need to get some of these critical changes posted sooner rather than later.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Jeff

[bhassel]

Just curious - where is this at?

 

I noticed that the Terf site has not posted any additional info proving they have a legitimate right to sell the plans.

 

Thanks,

 

Bob

[haiqu]

Then why don't you ask Mr. Rutan to release the whole shebang into the public domain?

I've seen written elsewhere that Burt did that with design #54 (Quickie).

 

My guess is that despite his vast achievements, the RAF homebuilt designs still hold a place dear to his heart.

 

Consider this though: as long as Burt continues to passively hold the rights to the designs, he affords anyone the freedom to build those designs and fly them, providing they take full responsibility for the consequences. That's altruism at its finest, and neatly gets around the problems of living in a litigious society.

 

I think we owe it to him to continue to build his designs, out of respect for a pioneer who has shown remarkable wisdom in his actions.