Re: Bug#200411: www.debian.org: confusing description of non-US sections

[Matt Kraai <kraai@alumni.cmu.edu>]

On Mon, Jul 14, 2003 at 09:15:01PM +0000, Brian M. Carlson wrote:
> On Mon, Jul 07, 2003 at 09:59:34PM -0700, Matt Kraai wrote:
> > The thread
> > 
> >  http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2002/debian-legal-200207/msg00029.html
> > 
> > documents the exact rationale for these sections.  The following
> > patch incorporates its conclusions into the packages page.
> > 
> > I'd appreciate it if the readers of debian-legal would
> > double-check it.
> 
> What I saw in that thread was Wichert saying that things in non-US
> needed to be there because of patents, and Steve Langasek saying that
> that those things needed to be in non-US/non-free. That's not what I see
> below.

I only found one reply from Steve Langasek at

 http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2002/debian-legal-200207/msg00032.html

I interpret this as saying that cryptographic software that is
non-free cannot move to a server in the US because it does not
fall under the same BXA exemptions that allow us to export free
cryptographic software.  I didn't see anything in his message
regarding patents.

> > -    <dt><em>Non-US/Main</em> and <em>Non-US/Non-Free</em></dt>
> > -      <dd>These packages cannot be exported from the USA, they are mostly
> > -      encryption software packages, or software that is encumbered by
> > -      patent issues. Most of them are free, but some are non-free.</dd>
> > +    <dt><em>Non-US/Main</em></em></dt>
> > +      <dd>Packages in this area are free themselves but cannot be
> > +      stored on a server in the USA because they are encumbered by
> > +      patent issues.</dd>
> 
> Things in main or non-US/main should not be patent encumbered.
> non-US/main is designed so that packages can be imported into the US,
> but not exported. If it would not fit the DFSG for any reason, including
> being patent-encumbered in the US or other places, then it does not
> belong in non-US/main.

What belongs in non-US/main?  Only software left over from the
crypto-in-main transition?

[snip]
>
> One final nitpick: please properly capitalize "non-US", "non-free", and
> "main".

I was being consistent with the titles of the other sections as
listed on that page.

-- 
Matt Kraai          kraai@alumni.cmu.edu          Debian GNU/Linux