Is there an open source license that covers programming books?

Question

I'm giving serious thought to releasing a programming book i wrote as open source to it's targeted community but i'm confused as to what such licenses give people permission to do. I also want to keep the original copyright.

For example, this is what i would like people to be able to do with my work:

• Download and read it free of charge.
• Be able to edit the original source files.
• To publish any changes they make back to the community as open source.
• To fork it if they wish (while maintaining the original open source license).

But these are the things i wouldn't like people to do:

• Monetarise it in any form! (i.e. make any money from it in any form).
• Keep any changes they make closed, especially translations or forks.

As i am pretty new to any form of open source i would be grateful for any input of ideas and advice.

Answer 1

Richard Stallman put his book under the GFDL - GNU Free Documentation License, which is similar to CC by SA

Answer 2

I've seen a few free books published under the Open Publication License. (Advanced Linux Programming, for one example.) You'll have to check to see if it fits your specific needs, but it may be helpful to others looking to publish free material online.

Answer 3

Bear in mind that neither Free nor Open Source licenses can restrict software to noncommercial uses. In other words, in any OSI- or FSF-approved license, you are free to make as much money as you can, and Richard Stallman encourages this.

(The licenses sometimes restrict certain things that people do do for profit, but don't forbid making money.)

The same applies to keeping changes closed. These licenses may put restrictions on redistributing in closed form, but do not and cannot require the modifier to distribute in the first place.

Therefore, assuming that's what you really want, you don't want an Open Source-type license. You'll probably have better luck with Creative Commons licenses.

Answer 4

I think that trying to prevent people monetising it is a bad idea, particularly if you want it's readership to ve as wide as posible. If you look at the succeful FOSS projects (as oposed to books) their success (in terms of numbers of users) has to a fair part been driven by commercial companies who need to make a buck.

Answer 5

XQuery Kick Start was published under GFDL.