SpottingWorld:Boilerplate request for permission
This page is intended as boilerplate text for requesting permission to re-use somebody else's content in Spotting World. To do this, they must re-license it under the GFDL or a GFDL-compatible license. For more, read copyrights. (Some Creative Commons Licenses (cc-by and cc-sa) may provide greater security of attribution, especially for images. See the CC website and [Image copyright tags for more.)
If you have a letter that has worked in requesting permission, please add it to this page, or work the text that you think was effective into the existing letters. Also, if you are granted permission post the details of the permission granted at Successful requests for permission.
Contents
An explanation
The main legal thing that is important to explain to potential contributors: they would be agreeing that their picture (or text) can be used freely by Spotting World AND its downstream users, and that such use might include commercial use, for which the contributor is not entitled to royalties or compensation.
This means that a contributor's work might appear in print or digital versions. It will certainly be used by other websites that legally copy our content. Contributed images could even conceivably be legally reused in calendars, coffee mugs or clip-art collections (although the practical requirement to reprint the entire GFDL text with re-used images may limit that somewhat).
It seems about half of the people asked for image contributions say no, uncomfortable about losing creative control, or the idea that someone else might make money from their work, or that there's little we can do to ensure that every downstream user will take the same pains as we do to provide proper GFDL author credit. This is certainly within their legal rights, and is a perfectly reasonable response, especially for those who make a living from their creative work. However, about half of these people have given an enthusiastic yes, happy to be contributing to a genuinely free source of knowledge, and knowing their work will continue to be used and spread.
One appeal that has made a difference to some is that licensing a small number of images to Spotting World does not put all of their work under this license. Even a professional photographer may be able to contribute just one lovely shot of a train, or a ship, or a plane, without undercutting the saleability of the rest of their work. It may even give their work a greater audience, since those looking for a picture to use for any given project will generally choose free pictures over those that require payment, over time the pictures licensed here are likely to become the "definitive" pictures for any given subject.
What not to ask permission for
Please don't ask the copyright owner simply for "permission to use the content on Spotting World." Many people would grant such permission, but they must release the material under licensing that would make its use permissible in Spotting World. Without this, the content must be deleted, as the owner has not licensed the work with licensing that would make its use permissible in Spotting World.
Example letter used by other editors
<AUTHOR | WEBMASTER>,
I really liked your <WHATEVER>! I found it very informative and useful. I'd love to use it in a project I'm involved with called Spotting World, so I'm seeking your permission.
I'd like to include your materials in this article [full url of relevant page]. To get a sense of the freedom of Spotting World, you could even edit this right now, even without formally registering.
We can only use your materials if you are willing to grant permission for this under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. This means that anyone will have the right to share and, where appropriate, to update your material. You can read this license in full at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html
The license expressly protects authors "from being considered responsible for modifications made by others" while ensuring that authors get credit for their work.
If you agree, we will credit you for your work in the resulting article's references section by stating that it was based on your work and is used with your permission, and by providing a web link back to <URL OF SOURCE>
Thank you for your time; I look forward to your response.
Kindly, YOUR NAME
