Re: Gnus Manual License
On Fri, 06 Oct 2006 12:24:30 +0200, Simon Josefsson <jas@extundo.com> said:
> Hubert Chan <hubert@uhoreg.ca> writes:
>>> * 3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this *
>>> software must display the following acknowledgment:
>>
>> This does not place any conditions on the distribution or
>> modification of the work itself. It only places conditions on
>> auxiliary material.
> No, the license demands that the clause 3 part of the license is
> preserved together with the work itself:
> * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
> * notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
The GFDL also requires a copyright notice that lists the cover texts.
Requiring the copyright notice is generally considered a necessary part
of ensuring that the software remains free.
[...]
> I would count the book cover under auxiliary material -- the cover is
> typically not part of the texinfo manual.
Unless you routinely rip off the covers from your books, I would
consider the cover to be part of the documentation, if it's in printed
form.
> FWIW, to me, the GFDL requirement seems less problematic than the
> OpenSSL requirement: the GFDL cover text requirement only applies to
> the cover of books. It doesn't say anything about other advertising
> material that is not derived from the work.
Yes, I personally find the OpenSSL license to be very obnoxious because
it extends its restriction beyond the work itself. I won't say anything
about which one I consider less problematic (other than in the specific
case of the GNU manuals, which may require me to print factually
incorrect statements).
My point, though, is that I believe that the differences between the
restrictions in the OpenSSL license and the GFDL license are sufficient
such that one cannot say that "If OpenSSL is allowed, the GFDL
documentation should be allowed as well." It does introduce an
interesting point of comparison, but beyond that, it should not force us
to decide on the GFDL in a specific manner.
--
Hubert Chan - email & Jabber: hubert@uhoreg.ca - http://www.uhoreg.ca/
PGP/GnuPG key: 1024D/124B61FA (Key available at wwwkeys.pgp.net)
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