Bug#131191: tetex-base: Includes many non-free documents

["C.M. Connelly" <c@eskimo.com>]

"DT" == Dylan Thurston <dpt@math.harvard.edu> writes:


    DT> The tetex-base package includes many non-free documents in
    DT> /usr/share/doc/texmf.  I noticed
    DT> /usr/share/doc/texmf/metapost/base/mpman.ps.gz, which is a
    DT> PostScript copy of a tech report.  It is apparently
    DT> available in only this form, but I'm sure there are many
    DT> other such documents.  Note that this documentation is the
    DT> only documentation on MetaPost; it is technical
    DT> documentation and needs to be free.  ("Free software needs
    DT> free documentation".)  I noticed this when I was looking
    DT> for the source to mpman.ps.gz to understand how it works.

A little research shows that the example ``non-free'' document,
mpman.ps, is in fact in the public domain.

See
<http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/systems/msdos/metapost/DISCLAIMER>,
which reads in part:

    ATT> The following AT&T software is hereby put into the public
    ATT> domain:

    ATT>     The MetaPost system, including the interpreter, mp,
    ATT> and support programs mptotex, dvitomp, mptotr, and dmp

    ATT> This does not constitute a precedent to be applied to any
    ATT> other AT&T copyright software.

    ATT> AT&T relinquishes all intellectual property rights to
    ATT> this code, both source and binary form and permission is
    ATT> granted for anyone to use, duplicate, modify and
    ATT> redistribute it.

    ATT> AT&T provides absolutely NO WARRENTEE OF ANY KIND with
    ATT> respect to this software.  The entire risk as to the
    ATT> quality and performance of this software is with the
    ATT> user.

    ATT> IN NO EVENT WILL AT&T BE LIABLE TO ANYONE FOR ANY DAMAGES
    ATT> ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING,
    ATT> WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOST DATA OR
    ATT> LOST PROFITS, OR FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR
    ATT> CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.

    ATT> THIS PACKAGE INCLUDES:

    ATT> global header files site.h and defaults.h,

    ATT> source files mp/mp.web, mp/mp.ch, mp/mp.h mp/mpext.c,
    ATT> mp/mpmath.c for the MetaPost interpreter,

    [deletia]

    ATT> and other documentation files doc/*

   CMC

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 Behind the counter a boy with a shaven head stared vacantly into space, 
 a dozen spikes of microsoft protruding from the socket behind his ear.
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   C.M. Connelly               cmc@debian.org                   SHC, DS
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