You mean:
ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
That’s why I asked when the design files and BOM will be available as current files are only PDF…
R, J.
Yes so someone can use the schematic of the VESC-X and remix it also. that’s what the SareAlike is. Doesn’t mean the format needs to be the same. Because it stays under the CC 4.0 license
Just try to prove the circuit and PCB designers work with PDF file format 
R, J.
I don’t understand what you mean? I work with altium on a almost daily basis, the pdf of the VESC-X is clearly sourced from altium. Now, there’s no KIcad to Altium importer out there. So the designer of the VESC-X was probably using the pdf of the 4.12 as reference, starting from scratch.
He means that @onloop did not share the source files and thus does not comply with the license. PDF is good, but if you want to create a new VESC-XY based on VESC-X, you have to do a lot of work. @onloop did this on purpose, to prevent others from doing say, I want just to take files, and manufacture PCBs on oshpark, and solder everything myself. I can’t easily do this.
A lot of people cite the creative commons licenses for hardware but it’s not really applicable. The license is a copyright license which offers very little protection when it comes to software and no protection when it comes to hardware (normally you have to go the patent route for protection). The original intent of copyrights was to protect authorship and publication rights for books so these protections weren’t ever really envisioned to protect objects like computer hardware. This is alluded to in their FAQ:
https://creativecommons.org/faq/#general-license-information
Hardware can’t be protected by copyright. Software can be, but it’s easy to circumvent because functionality can’t be copyrighted so, you can basically re-write a code and not be subject to copyright – most likely have to go patent route to do anything. Onloop is only bound by the CC license insofar as it relates to work that is actually copyrightable, like the images or written materials that Vedder published. If it’s just new hardware he’s pushing out it doesn’t really apply unless there’s a patent.
What I’m saying is that PDF is not the standard file format of Altium. Independently from where you start the work - from a paper document or importing the source files - and from the changes you apply - only conversion / transformation or changes like rerouting / BOM - you must share and distribute your contributions. Altium format is not proprietary, so can’t see how the fair use would prevent sharing design in the right format.
R, J.
If he would be bound to those than he wouldn’t complain on Chaka’s BOM a few weeks ago.
R, J.
lol right, not saying he’s not hypocritical.
I made this same point in the thread where he was going after Chaka.
Well, chaka did not share any of is information… Not even is bom or is shematic… That was the point
Also as @Blasto said, you can reproduce de VESC-X, you just need to work for it… all the information is available
I’m not sure if you are right with the statement that you can’t apply copyright on software / hardware. - See Apple vs. Samsung 
The native file formats are also documents - like DOC or PDF - , just better to represent the content of it: circuits and PCB designs. So the “protect authorship and publication rights” could apply.
R, J.
Chaka did not do a complete layout change that would require a BOM change. He simply had suggestions for upgraded components that he sent to Vedder.
This is a complete PCB layout change and should have a BOM to show the newly designed layout of the similar and upgraded Vesc components.
Those were patents infringement suits, not copyright.
I do this for a living
Fyi… Chaka did a complete bom change… He just the same layout and He just did not share is work.
Do you know what he changed? Because it looks identical to the original BOM.
I agree that thread got pretty messy. But it really didn’t have to.
The point is chaka made claims (and so did many others) that his vesc was better due to upgrading parts. The claim was that the upgraded parts improved the vesc reliability and reduced the chance of drv errors.
The reason I was “going after” him is he should have done the community the kind gesture to explain what parts he changed. Everyone wants a better vesc and he was keeping the changes secret for commercial gain.
Still to this date he has not published his BOM. All he said was read vedder forum to find the answers… so we did exactly that. It made it harder but such is life.
Now I have made a new product, I have made all the same changes as chacka and a few more very significant upgrades, I have also provided clear pictures of the changes, I have explained the changes in detail (without anyone needing to “go after me”) and I have published schematics for anyone who is interested.
But somehow I am still hypocritical? I really don’t understand the logic. It’s very biased.
All I want is to make better esk8’s - leave the politics at the door.
Thanks for all your efforts! Could you please then share the Altium file(s)?
R, J.
I think the people here complaining about the fact that you are “only” publishing PDF files instead of the original Altium files. I think for the correct spirit of open source it would be nice if you’d published everything, but i personally can understand why you didn’t. You do want to make better esk8, but you want to sell them and not be made by others. You spent many hours of work in your new layout and want to protect it. Just look how many hours Benjamin put into that project, without him… what would you have?
However, since i run a VESC-repair business, i’m very interested in your source files (like your altium files) because the repair is much easier off navigatable Layout files rather than using some JPG/PDF files. I’d very much appreciate if you publish it.
Waiting to hear instruction from vedder. Its Possible after vesc v6 is released we will do it. But really don’t want to derail vedder vesc6 developments.
The schematics are available now so you can see what we did.
What type of instructions? Are there any components from VESC that are not under CC BY-SA 4.0? I thought - as how it is advertised - that VESC is fully open source. If it is, then can’t see why would you have to wait sharing the content…
R, J.
