eds.activemath.org

Recently, Bob Matthews posted a mathtype trick, something that was not new to me, but something that struck me this time: you can, now, copy-and-paste from Wikipedia, shown in a current browser, into MathType (so into Word or PowerPoint).

That is very useful, oh yes… since it allows to start encoding formulæ far quicker than encoding it all (e.g. it’s useful for a beginner).

But there’s a catch and I just realized it: the license.

If you copy just a bit, then fair-use applies, and you have no big constraints.

If however, you start copy something that becomes a significant part of your content, Wikipedia’s GFDL applies it’s virality (sorry, its copyleft effect): you have to distribute the whole work under GFDL.

One open-question: would it still apply if you copy the content by hand? I am not sure, I have the impression that the spiritual paternity of Wikipedia is quite common wisdom, only its encoding is original.

What’s impressing, however, is when you read what fair use means which is far more than the citation right. Among others, it seems to explicitly allow for re-use of copyrighted material for dissemination to your classroom (in a non-commercial setting)!