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Re: Copyright question



It's definitely free software.  See notes below.

coven@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl (Pawel Wiecek) writes:
> I'm not sure if this copyright statement conforms to Debian's definition
> of free software. Any ideas?
> 
> --------------------
> > 
> >   Credits and license terms
> >   
> >    gd 1.2 is copyright 1994, 1995, Quest Protein Database Center, Cold
> >    Spring Harbor Labs. Permission granted to copy and distribute this
> >    work provided that this notice remains intact. Credit for the library
> >    must be given to the Quest Protein Database Center, Cold Spring Harbor
> >    Labs, in all derived works. This does not affect your ownership of the
> >    derived work itself, and the intent is to assure proper credit for
> >    Quest, not to interfere with your use of gd. If you have questions,
> >    ask. ("Derived works" includes all programs that utilize the library.
> >    Credit must be given in user-visible documentation.)
>      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Okay, that would be in /usr/doc/gd/README.Debian, which is
user-visible.  (If you were distributing it as part of a program then
you'd note it in the Info file or HTML docs.)

> >    
> >    If you wish to release modifications to gd, please clear them first by
>                                                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >    sending email to boutell@boutell.com; if this is not done, any
>      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^                       ^^^
> >    modified version of the gd library must be clearly labeled as such.
>      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

i.e., you must include a statement in /usr/doc/gd/README.Debian (or
/usr/doc/gd/copyright?) that the library has been modified from its
original version.

> So - is it free software or not?
> It'd be distributed as a library, not as part of another package if it
> matters.

These terms really aren't a problem.  They just require credit to be
given, which is fine.
-- 
Ben Pfaff <pfaffben@pilot.msu.edu> <blp@gnu.ai.mit.edu> <pfaffben@debian.org>
PGP key: http://www.msu.edu/user/pfaffben/pgp.html, or any keyserver near you
Linux: choice of a GNU generation - Webpage: http://www.msu.edu/user/pfaffben


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