Re: Handwaving licence

[Henning Makholm <henning@makholm.net>]

Scripsit Paul Martin <pm@nowster.zetnet.co.uk>

> How DFSG-free is an email from the author saying the following?

> > Please feel free to distribute it any way you want.
> > However, it would be nice if you could leave a reference to my
> > web site and email.

The second sentence is not a problem - it is clearly phrased as
a non-binding request. But we need a more clear first sentence that

a) explicitly states that the permission applies to everyone
   and is not specific to Debian, and

b) explicitly allows modification

It is OK to have these permissions in the form of an email from
the author instead of embedded in the source tarball.

> Does anyone have any advice for this situation?

Ask the author for clarification. You can make it easier for
him to say the right words by putting them in his mouth yourself.
For example, say

| Excellent - thanks. Sorry to bother you again, but just to
| please our legal guys I'd like you to confirm that this means
| that you allow anyone in the world to distribute the code,
| with or without any modifications?

If he answers "yes" to that you can just put his answer in the
copyright file.

-- 
Henning Makholm                      "The compile-time type checker for this
                           language has proved to be a valuable filter which
                      traps a significant proportion of programming errors."