All rights reversed


This article is about the phrase. For the song by the Chemical Brothers, see We Are the Night.

All Rights Reversed is a phrase that indicates a release of copyright or a copyleft licensing status. It is a pun on the common copyright disclaimer "All rights reserved", a formality originally required by the Buenos Aires Convention of 1910.[1] "All Rights Reversed" (sometimes spelled rites) was used by author Gregory Hill to authorize the free reprinting of his Principia Discordia in the late 1960s. Hill's disclaimer was accompanied by the kosher "Ⓚ" (for kallisti) symbol, a play on ©, the copyright symbol.[2]

The copyleft symbol. Unlike the copyright symbol, it has no legal meaning.

In 1986 programmer Don Hopkins sent Richard Stallman a letter labeled "Copyleft—all rights reversed". Stallman chose the phrase to identify his free software method of distribution.[3] It is often accompanied by a reversed version of the copyright symbol (see illustration).[4]

"All Rights Reversed" is also a French rock/alternative band.

References

  1. ^ Engelfriet, Arnoud (2006). "The phrase "All rights reserved"". Ius mentis. http://www.iusmentis.com/copyright/allrightsreserved/. Retrieved on 2007-12-27. 
  2. ^ Hill, Gregory (1965). Principia Discordia. "Ⓚ All Rites Reversed - reprint what you like" 
  3. ^ Stallman, Richard (1999). Open Sources: Voices from the Open Source Revolution. O'Reilly Media. pp. 59. ISBN 1565925823. 
  4. ^ Muffatto, Moreno (2006). Open Source: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Imperial College Press. pp. 40. ISBN 1860946658. 
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