Public Lab Papercraft Spectrometer Intro Kit
The Public Lab spectrometry project is an open source community effort to develop low-cost spectrometers for a range of purposes. This version builds on lots of community-contributed ideas, improvements, and refinements, for rigidity, ease of assembly and manufacturing.
Licenses
Hardware
CERNAlthough the form of the spectrometer is mostly functional, the graphical designs are protected by copyright. The CERN license establishes the terms by which others can copy and build upon the existing hardware without violating copyright.
Software
No SoftwareThere is no software created by Public Lab for the spectrometer, therefore there is no software to license.
The documentation is hosted on Public Lab’s website and includes text as well as images that are protected by copyright. The CC-BY-SA license allows anyone to copy and build upon the documentation as long as they meet the licensing requirements.
Branding
Information
The Paper Spectrometer Intro Kit name is descriptive and unlikely to be protectable by trademark. However, “Public Lab” may be protectable as a trademark. That would allow Public Lab to distribute Public Lab branded kits and prevent others from suggesting that their kits were distributed by Public Lab.
Protectability Spectrum of Project Components
Spectrometer Intro Kit Hardware
The hardware design is almost purely driven by functional requirements and therefore not protectable.
Spectrometer Intro Kit Name
The name is descriptive, which would generally prevent it from being protected under trademark law.
Spectrometer Intro Kit Graphic Design and Documentation
The typography, icons, and layout of the graphic design of the kit represent creative decisions that move beyond simple functional requirements.
