Davis Wiki uses a Creative Commons Attribution-By 3.0 license for all text, most images (some exceptions), and other content on the Web site.
Want to use content on Davis Wiki?
The Creative Commons Attribution-By license means that every editor who puts work onto Davis Wiki, whether it be text or images, gives anyone the right to do whatever he or she would like with the material. The only restriction being that if you distribute the content you must give attribution to the creators of the content or the collective "Davis Wiki"/"DavisWiki.org." This means you don't need to ask permission first — you've already got permission!
Please note that in some cases we allow material (usually images) on Davis Wiki that is not licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-By license, and in these cases there is an indication of strict copyright by the material, such as a note saying "Copyright The California Aggie" or "Provided by and Copyright Google". Usually, this occurs with images, and you must obtain permission from the individual in these cases — it was placed on Davis Wiki but not necessarily allowed elsewhere.
There is NO WARRANTY on any of the material you may find in Davis Wiki. We try to ensure our material is accurate and of the highest quality, but we are not responsible for any discomfort or potential injury that may befall you as a result of the content.
Want to put content on Davis Wiki?
The Creative Commons Attribution-By 3.0 license means that every single friend, weirdo, researcher, book publisher, nerd, newspaper editor, etc. can use any content you, the editor, put on to Davis Wiki for whatever purposes they want. It can be ruthlessly modified, edited, and redistributed without your permission or direct control. Your material can be used for good and it can be used for bad — anyone can use it for any purpose allowable under law provided they give credit to you or Davis Wiki in their use of the content!
For usage details, just read the overview. It's simple. Just remember that 'original author' can mean the author or the collective "Davis Wiki." An easy way to think about this is to pretend that every time someone asked us, "Hey, can I use X from Davis Wiki?" We answer "Yes, just say who created it or note it was from Davis Wiki."
Because most of our content falls under this license, you are legally responsible not to put other people's copyrighted work into Davis Wiki without permission.
For images, if you wish to allow your image on Davis Wiki but not fall under this umbrella of Creative Commons, just note explicit copyright. e.g. "Copyright Me, 2005." Under or near the image. This will let people know you allow it on Davis Wiki, but want others to get your permission before using it elsewhere. If you just want to give yourself credit for the image, just say "Image by Me" somewhere near the image. You still retain copyright on images where you do not note "Copyright..." — it is just assumed that you are also placing said image under the Creative Commons license.
You can copy articles from The California Aggie and place them on the wiki, provided that you attribute both the author/photographer and the Aggie. All California Aggie content will remain copyright The California Aggie/ASUCD (and not CC-By) until we finish relicensing discussions with them.
Note that you cannot copy material verbatim from Wikipedia and place it on the Wiki. They use the CC Attribution-By-Share Alike 3.0 license, which has more restrictions on what you can and cannot do with their information. Davis Wiki does not have those restrictions, and as a result, you cannot copy other people's text that they have written for Wikipedia and use it here. As an example: a newspaper, campus flier, brochure or any other publication that runs over 100 copies has fairly substantial requirements and responsibilities in order to use material from Wikipedia. Any information from Wikipedia has very strict title and ending requirements, while there is no requirement other than attribution to use material from Davis Wiki.
While it is always better to use Creative Commons or Public Domain maps, if you absolutely need to use a Google Earth or Google Map image to illustrate something (a aerial view of something that no longer exists, for instance), you must use the entire image, including the copyright notice, and add a caption (assuming you've thumbnailed it) that reads in part: "Provided by and Copyright Google", with the word Google a link to the service. This is the case at the end of 2008; you might want to double check if they have changed their licensing if significant time has passed. There are also freely available wireframe maps in East Davis, South Davis, etc that might be usable for your needs.
Why do we do this?
We want to foster an environment where information and ideas can be shared and used as easily as possible by the most people for the longest period of time, and we feel this is the best way to achieve this.
