Maxima reference manual



Brian Gough wrote:
> C Y writes:
>  > I agree a published Maxima book would be a very good thing.  Maybe in
>  > the distant future something could be done with the Maxima user manual
>  > as well once it is complete, but I suppose we would need a publisher
>  > who can live with the GPL. 

Could a commercial publisher produce a book that said on its copyright 
page "feel free to make any number of copies of this book."?

  See the "A=B" book, however, which is an example of a book online as
well as in printed form.  I don't know what the printed form says.

> 
> The main risk with commercial publication of free documentation is
> that a copyright problem with one contributor can jeopardise the whole
> book.  It's very expensive if the book has to be pulled from
> distribution after the printing costs have been incurred.


That's presumably why all publishers require that authors of collective
works sign copyright notices assigning these rights (perhaps 
non-exclusively) to the publisher.