I would like to raise a discussion regarding the coverage of Creative Common licence and PCBs in projets.
When a project is released using the CC licence (software, firmware, BOM, schematics and PCBs), is it compliant to modify it and NOT publish the PCB files ?
To my understanding it is not. The CC licence is made to impose that any modification to the design has to be shared. And all parts of the original licenced product have to be redistributed. This includes the schematics, the firmware, and the PCB. The spirit of the licence is to allow people to reproduce the new design in the same conditions as the original one.
Looking on the internet, it seems that I am not the only one sharing this opinion :
Regarding open-source and hardware : http://www.oshwa.org/faq/
Unfortunately, the original design files for hardware are often in proprietary formats for expensive software tools. In this case, it’s helpful and encouraged to also offer versions of the design in alternative or intermediate formats that can be viewed or edited with common or free programs. For example, PDFs of circuit schematics, **Gerbers for circuit board layouts**, and IGES or STL files for mechanical objects. These allow people without access to expensive or proprietary software to make at least some use of your design. Please note, however, that this is not a substitute for releasing the original files – the core of open-source hardware practice.
The CC licence says :
ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
The PCB is a clear contribution and it has to be shared.
When a project is released using the CC licence (software, firmware, BOM, schematics and PCBs), is it compliant to modify it and NOT publish the PCB files ?
To my understanding it is not. The CC licence is made to impose that any modification to the design has to be shared. And all parts of the original licenced product have to be redistributed. This includes the schematics, the firmware, and the PCB. The spirit of the licence is to allow people to reproduce the new design in the same conditions as the original one.
Looking on the internet, it seems that I am not the only one sharing this opinion :
Regarding open-source and hardware : http://www.oshwa.org/faq/
Unfortunately, the original design files for hardware are often in proprietary formats for expensive software tools. In this case, it’s helpful and encouraged to also offer versions of the design in alternative or intermediate formats that can be viewed or edited with common or free programs. For example, PDFs of circuit schematics, **Gerbers for circuit board layouts**, and IGES or STL files for mechanical objects. These allow people without access to expensive or proprietary software to make at least some use of your design. Please note, however, that this is not a substitute for releasing the original files – the core of open-source hardware practice.
The CC licence says :
ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
The PCB is a clear contribution and it has to be shared.