Mercurial > emacs
annotate admin/notes/copyright @ 75913:da54ad41c8f3
*** empty log message ***
author | Glenn Morris <rgm@gnu.org> |
---|---|
date | Thu, 15 Feb 2007 03:43:29 +0000 |
parents | b938ba007a89 |
children | d3b488e4da62 |
rev | line source |
---|---|
75596 | 1 Copyright (C) 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
75776 | 2 See the end of the file for license conditions. |
75596 | 3 |
4 | |
75465 | 5 NOTES ON COPYRIGHTS AND LICENSES |
6 | |
7 Some terminology: | |
8 | |
9 A "copyright notice" consists of one or a few lines of this format: | |
10 "Copyright (C) 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc." | |
11 | |
12 A "license notice" is a statement of permissions, and is usually much | |
13 longer, eg the text "GNU Emacs is free software...". | |
14 | |
15 | |
16 Every non-trivial file distributed through the Emacs CVS should be | |
17 self-explanatory in terms of copyright and license. This includes | |
18 files that are not distributed in Emacs releases (for example, the | |
19 admin/ directory), because the whole Emacs CVS is publicly | |
20 available. | |
21 | |
22 The definition of triviality is a little vague, but a rule of thumb is | |
23 that any file with less than 15 lines of actual content is trivial. If | |
24 a file is auto-generated (eg ldefs-boot.el) from another one in the | |
25 CVS, then it does not really matter about adding a copyright statement | |
26 to the generated file. | |
27 | |
75792 | 28 However, here is a quote from Matt Norwood (Software Freedom Law |
29 Center) that suggests we should revise the above policy about trivial | |
30 files: | |
31 | |
32 If FSF has a strong policy reason notices off of files it | |
33 considers "trivial", this will take a lot more bookkeeping; it | |
34 also runs the risk of these "trivial" files later growing into | |
35 non-trivial files, and being in the tree without any record of | |
36 authorship. All in all, I think it's a better policy to attach the | |
37 notice and let future authors decide if something is trivial when | |
38 they want to reuse it elsewhere. | |
39 [...] | |
40 In general, copyright law will step back and look at the overall "work" | |
41 consisting of all the assembled components working together as a system; | |
42 it will apply protection and permissions to this system, not to its | |
43 subcomponents. If parts of it are recombined into another system, it | |
44 will consider the protections and permissions for each of the source | |
45 components only in order to assess the overall status of the work again. | |
46 The assessment of whether a set of components is entitled to copyright | |
47 protection is the degree to which they display "creativity": not as | |
48 atomic units, but as parts of a system working in concert. Thus, several | |
49 "trivial" components working together in some coherent system might be | |
50 protectible. | |
51 | |
75865 | 52 RMS feels, though, that in trivial files (eg etc/FTP), having a |
53 license notice looks odd. Matt Norwood has confirmed it is not | |
54 _necessary_ to have licenses in such files, so we are sticking with | |
55 the policy of no licenses in "trivial" files. | |
56 | |
75911 | 57 NB consequently, if you add a lot of text to a small file, consider |
58 whether your changes have made the file worthy of a copyright notice, | |
59 and if so, please add one. | |
60 | |
75465 | 61 The years in the copyright notice should be updated every year (see |
62 file "years" in this directory). The PS versions of refcards etc | |
63 should display copyright notices (an exception to the rule about | |
64 "generated" files), but these can just display the latest year. The | |
65 full list of years should be kept in comments in the source file. If | |
66 these are distributed in CVS, check in a regenerated version when the | |
67 tex files are updated. | |
68 | |
69 Copyright changes should be propagated to any associated repositories | |
70 (eg Gnus, MH-E), but I think in every case this happens automatically | |
71 (?). | |
72 | |
75776 | 73 All README (and other such text files) that are non-trivial should |
74 contain copyright statements and GPL license notices, exactly as .el | |
75 files do (see e.g. README in the top-level directory). (Before 2007, | |
76 we used a simple, short statement permitting copying and modification | |
77 provided legal notices were retained. In Feb 2007 we switched to the | |
78 standard GPL text, on legal advice.) | |
75465 | 79 |
75776 | 80 For image files, the copyright and license details should be recorded |
81 in a README file in each directory with images. (Legal advice says | |
82 that we need not add notices to each image file individually, if they | |
75865 | 83 allow for that.). It is recommended to use the word "convert" to |
84 describe the automatic process of changing an image from one format to | |
85 another (http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2007-02/msg00618.html). | |
86 | |
75465 | 87 |
88 When installing a file with an "unusual" license (after checking first | |
89 it is ok), put a copy of the copyright and license in the file (if | |
90 possible. It's ok if this makes the file incompatible with its | |
91 original format, if it can still be used by Emacs), or in a README | |
92 file in the relevant directory. | |
93 | |
94 The vast majority of files are copyright FSF and distributed under the | |
95 GPL. A few files (mainly related to language and charset support) are | |
96 copyright AIST alone, or both AIST and FSF. (Contact Kenichi Handa | |
97 with questions about legal issues in such files.) In all these cases, | |
98 the copyright years in each file should be updated each year. | |
99 | |
100 There are some exceptions to the points in the previous paragraph, and | |
101 these are listed below for reference, together with any files where | |
102 the copyright needs to be updated in "unusual" ways. | |
103 | |
104 If you find any other such cases, please consult to check they are ok, | |
105 and note them in this file. This includes missing copyright notices, | |
106 and "odd" copyright holders. In most cases, individual authors should | |
107 not appear in copyright statements. Either the copyright has been | |
108 assigned (check copyright.list) to the FSF (in which case the original | |
109 author should be removed and the year(s) transferred to the FSF); or | |
110 else it is possible the file should not be in Emacs at all (please | |
111 report!). | |
112 | |
75791 | 113 Note that it seems painfully clear that one cannot rely on CVS logs, |
114 or even ChangeLogs, for older changes. People often installed changes | |
115 from others, without recording the true authorship. | |
116 | |
75465 | 117 [For reference, most of these points were established via email with |
118 rms, 2007/1, "Copyright years".] | |
119 | |
120 | |
75596 | 121 lib-src/etags.c # print_version |
122 lib-src/rcs2log # Copyright | |
123 lisp/calc/calc-help.el # calc-full-help | |
124 lisp/startup.el # fancy-splash-tail | |
125 mac/Emacs.app/Contents/Resources/English.lproj/InfoPlist.strings | |
126 mac/src/Emacs.r # resource 'vers' | |
127 src/emacs.c | |
128 - remember to change the latest copyright year in the --version output. | |
129 [Post-release, will automate this like set-version does for version.] | |
130 | |
75465 | 131 <top-level>/install-sh |
132 lispintro/install-sh | |
133 - this file is copyright MIT, which is OK. Leave the copyright alone. | |
134 | |
75865 | 135 admin/check-doc-strings |
75911 | 136 src/m/news-r6.h |
75865 | 137 public domain, leave alone. |
138 | |
75465 | 139 etc/edt-user.doc |
140 - update BOTH notices in this file | |
141 | |
75865 | 142 etc/letter.pbm,letter.xpm |
75791 | 143 - trivial, no notice needed. |
75865 | 144 <http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2007-02/msg00324.html> |
145 | |
75911 | 146 etc/FTP, ORDERS |
147 - trivial (at time of writing), no license needed | |
148 | |
75865 | 149 etc/GNU, INTERVIEW, LINUX-GNU, MOTIVATION, SERVICE, THE-GNU-PROJECT, |
150 WHY-FREE | |
151 rms: "These are statements of opinion or testimony. Their licenses | |
152 should permit verbatim copying only. Please don't change the | |
153 licenses that they have. They are distributed with Emacs but they | |
154 are not part of Emacs." | |
155 | |
156 etc/MAILINGLISTS | |
157 rms: simple license is fine for this file | |
75791 | 158 |
75539 | 159 leim/CXTERM-DIC/4Corner.tit, ARRAY30.tit, CCDOSPY.tit, ECDICT.tit, |
160 ETZY.tit, PY-b5.tit, Punct-b5.tit, Punct.tit, QJ-b5.tit, QJ.tit, | |
161 SW.tit, TONEPY.tit, ZOZY.tit | |
75465 | 162 - leave the copyrights alone. |
163 | |
164 leim/MISC-DIC/CTLau-b5.html, CTLau.html, cangjie-table.b5, cangjie-table.cns, | |
75539 | 165 pinyin.map, ziranma.cin |
75465 | 166 - leave the copyright alone. |
167 | |
168 leim/SKK-DIC/SKK-JISYO.L | |
169 ja-dic/ja-dic.el | |
170 (the latter is auto-generated from the former). Leave the copyright alone. | |
171 | |
172 lib-src/etags.c | |
173 - this has a copyright Ken Arnold. We are still deciding what should | |
174 be done here (see below). | |
175 | |
176 lib-src/getopt1.c, getopt_int.h | |
177 - these are from the GNU C library. Leave the copyrights alone. | |
178 | |
75499 | 179 lisp/play/tetris.el |
180 - no special rules about the copyright. We note here that we believe | |
181 (2007/1) there is no problem with our use of the name "tetris" or | |
182 the concept. | |
183 rms: "My understanding is that game rules as such are not copyrightable." | |
184 <http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2007-01/msg00960.html> | |
185 | |
75465 | 186 lispref/doclicense.texi |
187 man/doclicense.texi | |
188 - leave the copyright alone in this imported file. | |
189 | |
190 lisp/net/tramp.el | |
191 - there are also copyrights in the body of the file. Update these too. | |
192 | |
193 msdos/is_exec.c, sigaction.c | |
194 - these files are copyright DJ Delorie. Leave the copyrights alone. | |
75763 | 195 Leave the Eli Zaretskii copyright in is_exec.c alone. See the |
196 msdos/README file for the legal history of these files. | |
75465 | 197 |
198 src/gmalloc.c | |
75539 | 199 - contains numerous copyrights from the GNU C library. Leave them alone. |
200 | |
75766 | 201 src/acldef.h, chpdef.h, ndir.h |
75765 | 202 - see comments below. These files are OK to be released with Emacs |
203 22, but we may want to revisit them afterwards. | |
204 | |
75586 | 205 [src/unexhp9k800.c - removed 2007/1/27] |
75539 | 206 [src/m/sr2k.h - removed 2007/1/27] |
207 - First file removed due to legal uncertainties; second file removed | |
208 due to dependency on first. Note that src/m/hp800.h is still needed on | |
209 hp800 arch. | |
75679 | 210 NB we would like to re-add this file if we can. Please let us know |
211 if you can clarify its legal status. | |
75465 | 212 |
75765 | 213 |
75911 | 214 ** Some notes on resolved issues, for historical information only |
215 | |
216 | |
75765 | 217 *** These are copyright issues that need not be fixed until after |
218 Emacs 22 is released (though if they can be fixed before, that is | |
219 obviously good): | |
220 | |
221 | |
222 Is it OK to just `cvs remove' a file for legal reasons, or is | |
223 something more drastic needed? A removed file is still available from | |
224 CVS, if suitable options are applied. (This CVS issue obviously does | |
225 not affect a release). | |
226 rms: will ask lawyer | |
227 | |
228 | |
75865 | 229 Make sure that all files with non-standard copyrights or licenses are |
230 noted in this file. | |
231 | |
232 | |
75911 | 233 etc/BABYL |
234 File says it was written in 1983 by Eugene Ciccarelli, who has no | |
235 assignment. RMS: "The lawyer said we can keep BABYL." | |
236 | |
237 | |
238 etc/images/icons/* | |
239 nt/icons/emacs21.ico | |
240 src/gnu.h | |
241 Has Andrew Zhilin's 2005-11 assignment been correctly noted in | |
242 copyright.list? Mail sent to fsf-records. | |
243 http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2005-11/msg00349.html | |
244 | |
245 | |
75765 | 246 REMOVED etc/orgcard.tex, orgcard.ps |
247 Re-add these files if an assignment is received from Rooke. | |
248 | |
75911 | 249 |
75791 | 250 etc/images |
251 Image files from GTK, Gnome are under GPLv2 (no "or later"?). RMS will | |
252 contact image authors in regards to future switch to v3. | |
253 | |
75765 | 254 |
75766 | 255 src/acldef.h, chpdef.h, ndir.h |
75765 | 256 On legal advice from Matt Norwood, the following comment was added |
257 to these files in Feb 2007: | |
258 | |
259 The code here is forced by the interface, and is not subject to | |
260 copyright, constituting the only possible expression of the | |
261 algorithm in this format. | |
262 | |
263 With the addition of this notice, these files are OK for the | |
264 upcoming Emacs-22 release. Post-release, we can revisit this issue | |
265 and possibly add a list of all authors who have changed these files. | |
266 (details in email from Matt Norwood to rms, 2007/02/03). | |
267 | |
268 | |
269 REMOVED src/unexhp9k800.c | |
270 - we would like to re-add this file if possible. Please let us know | |
271 if you can clarify its legal status. | |
272 http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2007-02/msg00138.html | |
273 | |
274 | |
75465 | 275 *** These are copyright issues still to be addressed: |
276 | |
75911 | 277 NB apart from switching the TUTORIALs to GPL, I think there is nothing |
278 here that anyone can work on without further input from rms. | |
279 | |
75465 | 280 |
75661 | 281 Maybe some relevant comments here? |
282 <http://groups.google.com/group/linux.debian.legal/browse_thread/thread/123547ea95437a1f> | |
283 | |
284 | |
75911 | 285 All non-trivial README (and other such files) need copyright and |
286 license statements. Use GPL in most cases, rather than the short | |
287 notices we have been using till now. NB but see above for some | |
288 exceptions in etc/ that should stay unchanged. | |
75776 | 289 rms: "If a README file is under 60 lines long, using the long version |
75911 | 290 [of the GPL notice] might be ugly. Please tell me if you encounter one |
291 that is under 60 lines." | |
292 | |
293 lisp/term/README (ChangeLog.3 suggests was written by Eric Raymond) | |
294 borderline "trivial" cases | |
75465 | 295 |
296 | |
75865 | 297 etc/gnus-logo.eps, gnus-booklet.ps, gnus-refcard.ps |
298 just to be safe, papers are on the way for the "Gnus logo", even | |
299 though it is very similar to the already-assigned "Emacs logo". | |
300 | |
301 | |
75911 | 302 etc/emacs.csh, emacs.bash, DISTRIB |
303 does rms want GPL or simple license for these? | |
75865 | 304 |
305 | |
75465 | 306 etc/ms-kermit - no copyright, but ms-7bkermit has one |
307 etc/e/eterm-color.ti - no copyright | |
308 rms: "I think that is not copyrightable under the merger doctrine | |
309 because the entries are all forced. At least that is the case in the | |
310 US; I am not sure whether we can rely on that in general." | |
311 | |
312 | |
75865 | 313 etc/TUTORIAL* |
75913 | 314 switch to GPL. Depending on how rms wants this done, this may |
315 require the translators. | |
75865 | 316 |
317 | |
75465 | 318 lib-src/etags.c - no 'k.* arnold' in copyright.list' |
319 rms: "That is ok, in principle. I used free code released by Ken | |
320 Arnold as the starting point. However, it may be that we need to get | |
321 and insert whatever his license was for his code." | |
322 | |
75911 | 323 under GPL, so OK? |
324 | |
75586 | 325 - 1984 version of ctags, with no copyright, posted to net.sources: |
326 http://groups.google.com/group/net.sources/msg/a21b6c21be12a98d | |
327 | |
75465 | 328 |
75911 | 329 lwlib/lwlib-Xaw.c |
330 copyright Chuck Thompson; but under GPL, so OK? | |
331 | |
332 lwlib/lwlib-Xlw.c, lwlib-Xm.c, lwlib-Xm.h, xlwmenu.c | |
333 copyright lucid and FSF, but under GPL, so OK? | |
334 FSF copyrights were added in 200x, was that right? | |
335 | |
336 lwlib/lwlib-int.h, lwlib.h, lwlib-Xaw.h, lwlib-Xlw.h, lwlib-utils.h | |
337 no copyright. last three trivial? | |
338 suspect these must have been part of the "Lucid Widget Library", | |
339 which is under GPL. Can't find an original version of this to check. | |
340 | |
341 lwlib/Makefile.in | |
342 "some parts" copyright Lucid, no license | |
343 | |
344 lwlib/lwlib-utils.c, lwlib.c | |
345 copyright Lucid, Inc; but under GPL, so OK? | |
346 | |
347 lwlib/xlwmenu.h, xlwmenuP.h | |
348 part of 'Lucid Widget Library', but only FSF copyright (when files | |
349 were first checked into RCS, there were no copyrights). Was it right | |
350 to add FSF copyright? | |
351 should we add a 1992 Lucid copyright? | |
352 | |
353 lwlib/* | |
354 should we: | |
355 1) ensure all files that were originally in the "Lucid Widget | |
356 Library" have 1992 Lucid copyright? | |
357 2) add or remove FSF copyrights to any files we have made non-trivial | |
358 changes to since 1992? | |
75465 | 359 |
360 | |
361 oldXMenu/ | |
362 - should there be any FSF copyrights at all in here? Some were added | |
363 in 2005, without licence notices. Was this right? | |
75911 | 364 Eg don't think copyright.h should have FSF copyright! |
365 Should add copyright details for X11R1 to the README file. (see | |
366 copyright.h). I suggest we remove copyright.h and add the notices | |
367 directly into the files. | |
368 | |
369 | |
370 The general issue is, as with some of the Lucid code in lwlib, suppose | |
371 file foo.c is Copyright (C) 2000 John Smith, and released under the | |
372 GPL. We check it into Emacs CVS and make non-trivial changes to it. | |
373 Should we add a FSF copyright or not? Can we add such a notice as soon | |
374 as we check it check it in to CVS? | |
375 | |
376 | |
75465 | 377 oldXMenu/Makefile.in, Makefile, Imakefile, descrip.mms, insque.c |
378 - issues described in mail to rms, 2006/12/17. | |
379 rms: "I have asked for lawyer's advice about these." | |
380 | |
381 | |
75911 | 382 src/m/mips4.h, news-risc.h, pmax.h |
75465 | 383 src/s/aix3-2.h, bsd386.h, hpux8.h, hpux9.h, irix4-0.h, irix5-0.h, |
75888
d4152b32c8f1
umips.h was removed.
Chong Yidong <cyd@stupidchicken.com>
parents:
75866
diff
changeset
|
384 isc2-2.h, netbsd.h, osf1.h, sol2-3.h, sunos4-0.h, usg5-4-2.h |
75465 | 385 - all these (not obviously trivial) files are missing copyrights. |
386 rms: "I should talk about these with Matthew Norwood." | |
75792 | 387 The current legal advice seems to be that we should attach FSF |
75911 | 388 copyright and GPL for the time being, then review post-release: |
389 | |
390 Matt Norwood: | |
391 For now, I think the best policy is to assume that we do have | |
392 assignments from the authors (I recall many of these header files | |
393 as having been originally written by rms), and to attach an FSF | |
394 copyright with GPL notice. We can amend this if and when we | |
395 complete the code audit. Any additions to these files by | |
396 non-assigned authors are arguably "de minimis" contributions to | |
397 Emacs: small changes or suggestions to a work that are subsumed in | |
398 the main authors' copyright in the entire work. | |
399 | |
400 Details: | |
401 | |
402 mips4.h | |
403 might be trivial? started trivial, been added to in tiny changes by | |
404 those with FSF assignment, often result of email suggestions by others. | |
405 | |
406 news-risc.h | |
407 started trivial. Grown by tiny additions, plus chunk | |
408 from mips.h, which was and is Copyright FSF | |
409 | |
410 pmax.h | |
411 started trivial. grown in tiny changes, except for maybe Jim Wilson's | |
412 comment. | |
413 | |
414 ? irix4-0.h | |
415 I would say started non-trivial (1992, rms). only tiny changes since | |
416 installed. | |
417 | |
418 ? irix5-0.h | |
419 I would say started non-trivial (1993, jimb, heavily based | |
420 on irix4-0.h). A few borderline non-tiny changes since. | |
421 | |
422 ? isc2-2.h | |
423 started trivial. 2 non-tiny change, in 1993. looks to | |
424 be made up of several small tweaks from various sources. maybe | |
425 non-tiny total changes from Karl Berry (no emacs assignment). | |
426 | |
427 osf1.h | |
428 started trivial. grown in tiny changes (one borderline tiny change | |
429 by fx in 2000, but most code was later removed). non-tiny addition | |
430 in 2002 from m/alpha.h, but that was and is copyright FSF. | |
431 | |
432 usg5-4-2.h | |
433 started non-trivial, but was heavily based on usg5-4.h, which was and is | |
434 copyright FSF. only tiny changes since installed. | |
435 | |
436 sol2-3.h | |
437 started trivial. only non-tiny change (1994) incorporated code from | |
438 usg5-4.h, which was and is copyright FSF. | |
439 | |
440 aix3-2.h, bsd386.h, hpux8.h, hpux9.h, netbsd.h, sunos4-0.h | |
441 started trivial, grown in tiny changes. | |
442 | |
75776 | 443 |
444 | |
445 This file is part of GNU Emacs. | |
446 | |
447 GNU Emacs is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify | |
448 it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by | |
449 the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) | |
450 any later version. | |
451 | |
452 GNU Emacs is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, | |
453 but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of | |
454 MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the | |
455 GNU General Public License for more details. | |
456 | |
457 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License | |
458 along with GNU Emacs; see the file COPYING. If not, write to the | |
459 Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, | |
460 Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA. |