[This is rapidly becomming more appropriate for -legal. MFT set accordingly.] On Sat, 13 Sep 2003, John Hasler wrote: > Incorrect. "Download a deb" != "Download Debian". > > Example: Gentoo uses pppconfig. They get it by downloading the > Debian package from the Debian archive. > > Irrelevant. Anyone who wants to can download any single Debian > package (perhaps to run through alien and install on a Slackware > system). If the package contains GPL software it must also contain a > copy of the GPL. There is a significant and subtle difference between downloading a single Debian package and using the Debian distribution. Debian distributes packages as part of the Debian distribution, not (really) as parts intended to be used on their own. By consensus, every package has an implicit dependency on base-files which contains common licenses. If people wish to circumvent the tools which enforce this consensus, I don't see it as our burden to accomodate them. For example, if I were to allow single files to be downloaded from a CVS repository, I am not required to force the inclusion of the license with every single file downloaded, because the license is included with the entire anaglamation as it is intended to be distributed. Now, if the Author or Copyright holder asks us nicely to include their license literally, we might as well accomodate them. But by default, I see no reason to do any differently than we are already doing. > You seem to be asking me to _remove_ the author's COPYING file. I am > not going to do that. The upstream's COPYING file (or COPYRIGHT, AUTHORS, etc.) should already be included in debian/copyright, unless it's some wierd usage of that file. Don Armstrong -- N: Why should I believe that?" B: Because it's a fact." N: Fact?" B: F, A, C, T... fact" N: So you're saying that I should believe it because it's true. That's your argument? B: It IS true. -- "Ploy" http://www.mediacampaign.org/multimedia/Ploy.MPG http://www.donarmstrong.com http://www.anylevel.com http://rzlab.ucr.edu
Attachment:
pgpQRZNpPJjgY.pgp
Description: PGP signature