Hello all,

I was wondering if any POV models are available in the public domain.  I am
a researcher, interested in estimating the motion of a camera from several
pictures taken by that camera from different views.  I have been using this
excellent software to generate images with "known" camera motion.  However,
I can find no clear documentation of what legal issues exist for using the
models.  I have used (significantly modified) version of several of the
scenes that are distributed with the software.  Would it be permissible to
publish these images in a scientific journal?

thanks very much for any reply,
Justin

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"Justin" <nomail@nomail> wrote in message 
news:web.4396f272f346736792409d3d0@news.povray.org...
> Hello all,
>
> I was wondering if any POV models are available in the public domain.  I 
> am
> a researcher, interested in estimating the motion of a camera from several
> pictures taken by that camera from different views.  I have been using 
> this
> excellent software to generate images with "known" camera motion. 
> However,
> I can find no clear documentation of what legal issues exist for using the
> models.  I have used (significantly modified) version of several of the
> scenes that are distributed with the software.  Would it be permissible to
> publish these images in a scientific journal?
>
> thanks very much for any reply,
> Justin
>
>

If you go into help and look for 'license', under 'usage conditions' it 
says:
"The creator of a scene file retains all rights to any scene files they 
create, and any images generated by the Software from them."

Then a couple of lines down it clarifies the position with the supplied 
include files with:
"The User is also granted the right to use the scene files, fonts, bitmaps, 
and include files distributed in the INCLUDE and SCENES\INCDEMO sub- 
directories of the Software in their own scenes. Such permission does not 
extend to any other files in the SCENES directory or its sub-directories. 
The SCENES files are for the User's enjoyment and education but may not be 
the basis of any derivative works unless the file in question explicitly 
grants permission to do such."

The license text contains contact information for license enquiries.

If you have used files where permission has not been explicitly granted, 
then you still have the option of contacting the copyright owners for 
permission.
Where permission has been granted, whether in the files or otherwise it is 
obviously polite to give appropriate credits.

Regards,
Chris B.

Post a reply to this message

> If you go into help and look for 'license', under 'usage conditions' it
> says:
> "The creator of a scene file retains all rights to any scene files they
> create, and any images generated by the Software from them."
>
> Then a couple of lines down it clarifies the position with the supplied
> include files with:
> "The User is also granted the right to use the scene files, fonts, bitmaps,
> and include files distributed in the INCLUDE and SCENESINCDEMO sub-
> directories of the Software in their own scenes. Such permission does not
> extend to any other files in the SCENES directory or its sub-directories.
> The SCENES files are for the User's enjoyment and education but may not be
> the basis of any derivative works unless the file in question explicitly
> grants permission to do such."
>
> The license text contains contact information for license enquiries.
>
> If you have used files where permission has not been explicitly granted,
> then you still have the option of contacting the copyright owners for
> permission.
> Where permission has been granted, whether in the files or otherwise it is
> obviously polite to give appropriate credits.
>
> Regards,
> Chris B.

Thanks for your reply!

I had looked at the licence file before, but I am still not completely sure
I understand it.  (Forgive me, but I am not a lawyer.)  Am I correct in
interpreting it as follows:

1) Any usage of the *scene files* requires the permission of the creator.
Thus there is no issue with publishing (with permission) images generated
from scenes created by third parties or myself, but using the supplied
scenes requires permission from the POV team.

2) The address to contact the POV team about license issues is
team-coord-[three-lettermonth]-[four-digit year]@povray.org.  (With
appropriate substitutions.)  I have actually written to this address in the
past, but it did not appear to be working.  (I even wrote to the webmaster
about this issue, which did not boubce, but got no reply.)  I suppose I can
try it again...

I'm not just interested in being 'legal' here, but I want to do the right
thing.

Post a reply to this message

Justin wrote:
> 1) Any usage of the *scene files* requires the permission of the creator.
> Thus there is no issue with publishing (with permission) images generated
> from scenes created by third parties or myself, but using the supplied
> scenes requires permission from the POV team.

Wrong, on both counts:  You need to contact the *artist* who created the 
scene to get permission to use it, including the image generated from it. 
His or her name is stated in the scene file.  The POV-Team did *not* create 
those scenes and as such cannot grant you any such permission.

	Thorsten Froehlich, POV-Team

Post a reply to this message

> Wrong, on both counts:  You need to contact the *artist* who created the
> scene to get permission to use it, including the image generated from it.
> His or her name is stated in the scene file.  The POV-Team did *not* create
> those scenes and as such cannot grant you any such permission.

Thanks for your clear reply.  I will follow up with the invidual artist, not
the POV team.

Post a reply to this message

Justin wrote:
> 2) The address to contact the POV team about license issues is
> team-coord-[three-lettermonth]-[four-digit year]@povray.org.  (With
> appropriate substitutions.)  I have actually written to this address in the
> past, but it did not appear to be working.  (I even wrote to the webmaster
> about this issue, which did not boubce, but got no reply.)  I suppose I can
> try it again...

I receive mail for both the above accounts and do not recall hearing from
you. If you can tell me the date and time you mailed, and the address you
sent the mail to, I can investigate.

-- Chris

Post a reply to this message

Chris Cason <nos### [at] deletethispovrayorg> wrote:
> Justin wrote:
> > 2) The address to contact the POV team about license issues is
> > team-coord-[three-lettermonth]-[four-digit year]@povray.org.  (With
> > appropriate substitutions.)  I have actually written to this address in the
> > past, but it did not appear to be working.  (I even wrote to the webmaster
> > about this issue, which did not boubce, but got no reply.)  I suppose I can
> > try it again...
>
> I receive mail for both the above accounts and do not recall hearing from
> you. If you can tell me the date and time you mailed, and the address you
> sent the mail to, I can investigate.
>
> -- Chris

Actually, this doesn't appear to be the same address, but I sent an email to
tag### [at] tagpovrayorg on 9/14/2005 2:28 PM.  For my part, it doesn't
matter now...

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Iteresting, I used to talk about this to a MIT lecturer, now I work for a
positoning company, have a little prior art that needs some applied
mathematics to complete what you are attempting.

Have you  considered the time domain
Simon

"Justin" <nomail@nomail> wrote in message
news:web.4396f272f346736792409d3d0@news.povray.org...
> Hello all,
>
> I was wondering if any POV models are available in the public domain.  I
am
> a researcher, interested in estimating the motion of a camera from several
> pictures taken by that camera from different views.  I have been using
this
> excellent software to generate images with "known" camera motion.
However,
> I can find no clear documentation of what legal issues exist for using the
> models.  I have used (significantly modified) version of several of the
> scenes that are distributed with the software.  Would it be permissible to
> publish these images in a scientific journal?
>
> thanks very much for any reply,
> Justin
>
>

Post a reply to this message