Wikisource:Open Mishnah Project/Permissions

All text and audio in the Open Mishnah Project is contributed freely under the GNU FDL Open Source License. Most of the texts are typed by hand from scratch, which involves a great deal of labor on the part of the participants.

No texts published elsewhere may be copied on this project unless there is explicit written permission from the copyright holder to do so. This page lists texts which we have been granted permission to use.

Mechon Mamre's Mishnah Text

Mechon Mamre has graciously granted us permission to use its text of the Mishnah according to Maimonides version. It is used on the Hebrew version of the Open Mishnah project, though we have edited it differently than Mechon Mamre, according to our own principles. The permission later is copied here (my request followed by Mechon Mamre's reply with permission):

Text of Permission letter

Subject:
Re: The Open Mishnah Project - Permission to use "typing" service
From:
mtr@mechon-mamre.org
Date:
Wed, 25 Aug 2004 08:07:00 +0300 (IDT)
To:
"Dovi Jacobs" <dovijacobs@yahoo.com>

by'"`--

Dear Dovi,

>> Hello. The texts you make available at Mechon Mamre
>> are a wonderful public service and a great mitzvah.
>> Thanks.
>>
>> I would like to ask you to take a look at what is
>> probably the first "Jewish" application of a new trend
>> in texts, namely open content wiki sites.  You've
>> probably heard of "wikipedia" and maybe its related
>> projects.  On one of them, namely "WikiSource" I have
>> started something called "The Open Mishnah Project".
>>
>> I've done quite a bit in Hebrew (the most basic texts
>> on most of Berakhot and the first chapter of Peah).
>> In English there is nothing more than some preliminary
>> discussion and two sample mishnayot.  Please see the
>> following:
>>
>> Hebrew:
>> http://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A0%D7%94_%D7%A4%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%97%D7%94
>> (For the Hebrew wikisource in general:
>> he.wikisource.org)
>>
>> English:
>> http://wikisource.org/wiki/Mishnah
>> There is also some preliminary English discussion at:
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Judaism
>>
>> The reason I am writing to you is for a permission
>> request.  I would like to include, among the most
>> basic texts I contribute for each mishnah, the
>> Rambam's version.  Rather than typing it in manually,
>> it would be a great help if I could adapt your
>> electronic text.  I intend to change it in the
>> following ways (all changes are of course my own
>> responsibility, not yours): Change the spelling to
>> conform with the manuscript; revise the punctuation;
>> format the mishnah line-by-line.  For examples, please
>> see the two sample mishnnayot.
>>
>> If you grant permission, I will of course note that
>> your digital text has been adapted.  I plan to upload
>> a page soon with details about the sources of all the
>> texts in Hebrew.
>>
>> Looking forward to hearing from you,
>> Dovi


It seems to me that our particular versions of the texts on our site are
both copyrightable and copyrighted as unique presentations of the texts
(even the public domain "Mona Lisa" with a unique mustache can be
copyrighted!), though none of the original texts in the old manuscripts is as such copyrightable, but public domain.

So I can see no legal basis for us forbidding your use of our Mishnah text as a first draft to save you the trouble of typing.  As long as you are reworking our texts to a form according to your standards of punctuation and spelling etc., we have no objection, but rather give you our blessing.

There is not even any need of mentioning us or linking to us on your site as the typists of your first draft, though you do have our permission to have even deep linking into any part of our site as you see fit.


shalom,

The Webmaster

Rav Grossman's Mishnah Translation on Daf Yomi

As of 08 April 2007, the Open Mishnah Project has received permission to use the Daf Yomi Mishnayos lectures to assist in our efforts as they are in the public doman.

Text of Permission letter

RE: Copyright status and usage of Daf Yomi materials
 (David Hirschorn, Sun Apr  8 12:55:10 2007)
No problem, it is public domain.  You can contact Rav Grossman directly by
calling [number removed] to ask him how he feels about it.

Chag sameach.

-David

-----Original Message-----
From: Kari Hazzard [mailto:karimarie@mail.rit.edu] 
Sent: Sunday, April 08, 2007 10:53 AM
To: hirschorn.david@mgh.harvard.edu
Subject: Copyright status and usage of Daf Yomi materials

Dear Mr. Hirschorn,

Hello, my name is Kari Hazzard and I am a collaborator for the Open Mishnah 
Project, attempting to build a full text of the Mishnah, in both Hebrew and 
English, on Wikisource (http://en.wikisource.org).

The current (very incomplete) version of our project can be viewed at 
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Mishnah and our project page is at 
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Wikisource:Open_Mishnah_Project if you are 
interested in seeing what we've produced thus far.

In order to streamline our translation efforts somewhat, I am wondering if
we would be able to use Rabbi Grossman's translation of the Mishnah (as spoken 
in the Mishnayos MP3s) as the basis of our translation, though we will be 
editting it to our own principles.

I do not see any copyright notice on the daf yomi website, but I am required 
by Wikisource policy to confirm that the content is in the public domain or 
to receive written permission from the copyright holder to the effect that 
the content may be used for our purposes. If you could confirm that it is in 
the public domain, or point me in the direction of the copyright holder, it 
would be much appreciated.



Chag sameach v'kasher sameach and todah rabba,
Kari Hazzard
Open Mishnah Project

Future requests

We hope, some day, to get permission to use:

• A vowelized text of the Mishnah in Hebrew.
• The Hebrew translation of Rambam's commentary on the Mishnah, published by Mosad Harav Kook.