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Re: Final Draft: Interpretive Guideline regarding DFSG clause 3



On Wed, Dec 12, 2001 at 07:12:51PM +0200, Richard Braakman wrote:
> I agree with the content of this proposal.  I found it hard to read and
> understand, however.  I'm still thinking of ways to change the wording.
> At least I suggest to change "A copyright holder is permitted to withhold
> permission to..." to "A license need not grant permission to...".  This
> way it talks about licenses just like the DFSG does, and it has fewer
> inversions of meaning.

I was attempting to write carefully and defensively, having just
weathered a month's worth of 2nd-degree burns.

I welcome changes that make my meaning clearer without sacrificing
meaning.

> > Permission must be granted to include or exclude the text of the
> > license in alternative formats or duplicate copies, as long as at
> > least one copy of each applicable license text accompanies the work
> > as part of the Debian GNU/Linux Distribution.
> 
> What does this mean in practice?  I know of no license that explicitly
> grants or withholds such permission.

Remember a few months ago when RMS accused Debian of violating the GPL
by not shipping a copy in each and every .deb?

> I would also support a variant that allows some non-modifiable text,
> as long as it is [insert definition of non-technical], and as long
> as it can be removed.  That way, we can distribute editorial text
> (such as the GNU Manifesto) if we want to, but it doesn't impact the
> freeness of the work it accompanies.

I proposed this to RMS.  He doesn't want to grant permission for the GNU
Manifesto be removed.

-- 
G. Branden Robinson                |
Debian GNU/Linux                   |      If encryption is outlawed, only
branden@debian.org                 |      outlaws will @goH7Ok=<q4fDj]Kz?.
http://people.debian.org/~branden/ |

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