On Tue, 25 Oct 2005 14:48:14 -0500 David Moreno Garza wrote: > Forwarding from a wnpp bug. > > debian-legal is the best place for discussing this. [...]
On Mon, 24 Oct 2005 21:53:47 -0500 Dirk Eddelbuettel wrote: [...] > Let me add that I had quite a few email exchanges back then with > newmat's author. Based on the fairly regular contact I had with him, > there is no doubt in my mind that Robert would a) welcome inclusion of > newmat in Debian, Good. > and b) consider newmat to be obviously open source. The license is too vague and unclear, but, if the author wants his software to be DFSG-free, we (at debian-legal) can suggest an appropriate license change. [...] > >From the newmat10 manual: > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > -------- 1.1 Conditions of use [...] > > There are no restrictions on the use of newmat except that I take no > liability for any problems that may arise from this use. OK, no restrictions on use. > > I welcome its distribution as part of low cost CD-ROM collections. Here it seems that permission to distribute is granted, but only as part of low cost CD-ROM collections. No permission to distribute via other means seems to be granted. Non-free. > > You can use it in your commercial projects. Nothing new, since the license already stated there are no restrictions on use. > However, if you distribute > the source, please make it clear which parts are mine and that they > are available essentially for free over the Internet. OK, do not misrepresent. > > PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MAY STILL BE BUGS AND ERRORS. USE AT YOUR > OWN RISK. I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THIS > PACKAGE OR FOR ANY MISFORTUNE THAT MAY BEFALL YOU OR OTHERS AS A > RESULT OF ITS USE. Common desclaimer of responsibility, even if phrased in a weird manner. > > Please report bugs to me at robert (at) statsresearch.co.nz > > When reporting a bug please tell me which C++ compiler you are using, > and what version. Also give me details of your computer. And tell me > which version of newmat (e.g. newmat03 or newmat04) you are using. > Note any changes you have made to my code. If at all possible give me > a piece of code illustrating the bug. See the problem report form. > > Please do report bugs to me. These sentences are kind requests and do not really belong in a license. The license ends here. There is no explicit permission to distribute (except as part of low cost CD-ROM collections). There is no explicit permission to modify or distribute modified versions. Non-free. If the author really meant to make his software Free, it seems that he wanted a simple permissive non-copyleft license. I would suggest upstream author to change the license to the Expat (a.k.a. MIT) license: http://www.jclark.com/xml/copying.txt This would solve all the licensing issues: newmat would become DFSG-free and reach the goals of license simplicity and permissiveness. -- :-( This Universe is buggy! Where's the Creator's BTS? ;-) ...................................................................... Francesco Poli GnuPG Key ID = DD6DFCF4 Key fingerprint = C979 F34B 27CE 5CD8 DC12 31B5 78F4 279B DD6D FCF4
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