LATI Repertoire Guidelines for Use
Before using a work in the LATI Repertoire (either through study, performance, or alteration), users should read the following.
- this document
- the LATI Social Contract
- full text of the license applicable to the work
It is critical that every member of our community understand copyleft, the freedoms it grants us, and the responsibilities it requires. Copyleft is not "anything goes". Users of copyleft works have legal responsibilities they must meet in order to use the work. Nor is copyleft "always ask before you use". For freedoms granted by the license, users do not need to ask permission from the work's creator. The specific freedoms and responsibilities are laid out in the copyleft license covering the work.
Ignorance about copyleft hurts our community. Understand the license before you use the work!
What is copyleft?
Copyleft is a way to allow others to freely use and build upon copyright works. The copyright holder of a work (the composer, choreographer, etc) can use a copyleft license to grant users greater freedoms than those granted by copyright. While standard copyright restricts users from sharing works freely, using works for commercial purposes, and modifying works, a copyleft license explicitly grants users these freedoms, according to certain conditions.
These conditions generally include "Attribution" and "ShareAlike" clauses. "Attribution" requires that when the work is distributed, attribution (including creator name, copyright, license info, and link to original) is properly given. "ShareAlike" allows for modification and redistribution only if additions and changes to the work are covered by the same copyleft license. The specifics of these requirements are spelled out in the license covering the work.
Through the use of copyleft, LATI seeks to encourage:
- Unrestricted learning
- Unrestricted performance
- Unrestricted teaching
- Unrestricted modifications
Users may freely study and practice LATI Repertoire. Users needn't ask permission.
Our contributors are honored when others study and practice their works, and the deeper the study, the more respect given.
Users may freely perform and record LATI Repertoire, as long as they meet the requirements of Attribution as explained in the license. Also see "Example Attribution" below. We encourage performers to maximize the potential for goodwill by following the tenets of the LATI Social Contract.
Users are free to make money on performances and recordings of LATI Repertoire, with no formal requirement to compensate the original composer(s)/choreographer(s) or other contributors. No royalties are required. Financial (and other) gifts may be given voluntarily, of course, as an act of generosity and appreciation.
LATI's recordings of its performances are licensed copyleft when possible, and full-quality final files and potentially useful supporting material (recording session files and sub-tracks, for example) will be shared with the community.
Our contributors are honored when others perform and benefit from their works.
Users are free to teach what they know of LATI Repertoire to others, as long as they meet the requirements of Attribution as explained in the license. Users needn't ask permission.
Teachers are free to make money through the teaching of LATI Repertoire as described above.
Our contributors are honored when others share and promote our works through teaching.
Users are free to make changes to LATI Repertoire, as long as they meet the requirements of Attribution and ShareAlike as explained in the license. Users needn't ask permission. Nor must the contribution maintain the "artistic vision" of the original composer(s)/choreographer(s). All contributions, including those that redefine or subvert the original intent of a composer/choreographer, are considered a beneficial expansion of the total pool of copyleft work.
In addition to Attribution, when a work is modified, the work must be clearly indicated as having been modified, and must provide access to the original version. See the relevant license text for details.
Our contributors are honored when their works serve as the inspiration for additional copyleft work. This is true even when we disagree about the artistic interpretation of a modification.
Attribution/ShareAlike examples
The following scenarios explain how uses of a copyleft work should properly give attribution and meet the requirements of ShareAlike. Users must also read and understand the actual license text before using the work.
Unmodified-work examples
Setting: A group includes Jack Bazaar from the LATI Repertoire in a school performance. Whether the group is paid for the performance is not relevant.
Requirements: The group must meet the license requirements of "Attribution".
Possible emcee statement:
"The next piece is called Jack Bazaar, written by Kristofer Bergstrom. The piece is copyleft, meaning others are free to learn and use it, and we can point you to more information if you're interested."
The speaker is free to add more information if desired, but this simple statement includes the work title, the author, the copyright notice, and a way to access the original work and license details.
Possible written statement:
Jack Bazaar
by Kristofer Bergstrom
with contributions by Masato Baba, Brady Fukumoto, Shoji Kameda, Yuta Kato, Jason Osajima, Yuri Yoshida
Copyright 2011
Released under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike International 4.0 license
http://taiko.la/repertoire/jack-bazaar
Modified-work examples
Setting: A group rearranges Jack Bazaar for a spring concert performance to include new material the group has created. Whether the group is paid for the performance is not relevant.
Requirements: The group must meet the license requirements of Attribution and ShareAlike. The new piece must be licensed copyleft.
Emcee statement:
"The next piece is called Jack and Jill Bazaar. It borrows parts from Jack Bazaar, written by Kristofer Bergstrom. This piece is copyleft, meaning others are free to learn and use it, and we can point you to more information if you're interested."
The speaker is free to add more information if desired, but this simple statement includes the original work title, the fact that the work has been modified, the author, the copyright notice, and a way to the original work and license details.
Written statement:
Jack and Jill Bazaar
by John Smith
Copyright 2014
Includes a portion of "Jack Bazaar", by Kristofer Bergstrom, Copyright 2011. Original: http://taiko.la/repertoire/jack-bazaar
Released under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike International 4.0 license.
For more examples, see Creative Commons best practices