Manoj Srivastava wrote:
That is absolute nonsense. The shoe is on the other foot. Debian-legal has determined that it does not have the right to let in non-DFSG-free material, and that the GNU FDL is not DFSG-free. This is within its assigned duties.Hi,On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 02:00:42 -0400, Nathanael Nerode <neroden@twcny.rr.com> said:This package contains material licensed under the GNU FDL (the manual) installed in usr/share/info/make.info*.gz. Debian-legal has determined that the GNU FDL is not a free software license, even without Front Cover Texts, Back Cover Texts, or Invariant Sections. While attempts are being made to get the FSF to modify it so that it is, the FSF appears to be very slow and recalcitrant about making any changes to the GNU FDL; it will likely be years before it is changed. Accordingly, in order to satisfy the Debian Social Contract *now*, the manual should be removed from the package as soon as is feasible.Debian legal, by itself, probably does not have the rights to make such a determination. Firstly, there has to be a formal determination to the effect, and needs be ratified by the larger developer body.
Licenses are not "free until proven non-free" (as you seem to be claiming), and the GFDL has quite certainly been proven not to be a free software license. Even RMS agrees that it is not a free software license (he claims that documentation is not software). Debian's Social Contract states that "Debian will remain 100% Free Software". Not "Debian will remain Free Software plus some other stuff."
The larger developer body certainly has the right to let in such material if it chooses to amend or 'clarify' the Social Contract. If you want to do that, start the process of doing so. Nobody has.
I'm not going to start an open-close war right now, but you should know that you're quite, quite wrong.Don't bother reopening these reports, they shall be just as summarily closed.
Forwarding to debian-devel. No thanks to you for starting what is sure to be a flame war.