Re: IBM documentation license
Eduard Bloch wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have problems interpreting the following copyright statement which
> covers the documenting of the ICU library from IBM (which itself is
> free). IMHO it is non-free, however it is full of juristical english and
> may be acceptable for main if one can extract the relevant parts from
> all the blah, blah. The most interessting part is on the bottom of the
> text.
>
> Permission to Reprint IBM Copyrighted Publications
>
> INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION ARMONK, NEW YORK 10594
>
> PERMISSION TO REPRINT IBM COPYRIGHTED PUBLICATIONS
>
> IBM grants permission to reproduce the requested copyrighted
> publication owned by INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
> under the conditions specified.
Grants permission to reproduce; nothing else. Debian needs more.
> Such reproduction must be accompanied by the following credit
> line: "Reprinted by permission from International Business
> Machines Corporation copyright (year)" which should include the
> years in the original copyright notice for publication named.
Acceptable restriction.
> The
> credit line normally should appear on the page where the
> reproduction appears either under the title or as a footnote.
Unsure, but "normally should" seems to give some broad leeway.
> When more than one IBM publication is excerpted in the same
> publication, a consolidated credit paragraph may be used on the
> title page, or in a conveniently viewable manner, listing the
> titles, corresponding copyright notices, and references to the
> points where excerpts appear.
That's good.
> It is the understanding of INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES
> CORPORATION that the purpose for which its publications are being
> reproduced is accurate and true as stated in your attached
> request.
So the permission only applies to a specific "attached request"?...
> Permission to quote from or reprint IBM publications is limited to
> the purpose and quantities originally requested and must not be
> construed as a blanket license to use the material for other
> purposes or to reprint other IBM copyrighted material.
...Yep, it does. That's not a free license. It may be distributable in
'non-free' if you write your "attached request" broadly enough. :-)
> IBM reserves the right to withdraw permission to reproduce
> copyrighted material whenever, in its discretion, it feels that
> the privilege of reproducing its material is being used in a way
> detrimental to its interest or the above instructions are not
> being followed properly to protect its copyright.
Non-free.
> No permission is granted to use trademarks of International
> Business Machines Corporation and its affiliates apart from the
> incidental appearance of such trademarks in the titles, text, and
> illustrations of the named publications. The appearance should not
> be of a manner which might cause confusion of origin or appear to
> endorse non-IBM products. Any proposed use of trademarks apart
> from such incidental appearance requires separate approval in
> writing and ordinarily cannot be given.
This is fine; trademark protection clauses should all look like this.
> THIS PERMISSION IS PROVIDED WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
> EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED
> WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
> PURPOSE.
Fine, usual disclaimer.
> Notices
<snip>
These are all informational and do not actually affect the license, as far
as I can tell.
> COPYRIGHT LICENSE:
>
> This information contains sample application programs in source
> language, which illustrates programming techniques on various
> operating platforms. You may copy, modify, and distribute these
> sample programs in any form without payment to IBM,
This is a license grant for the 'sample programs', and it's a broader
license grant than the general grant for the 'documentation'...
> for the
> purposes of developing, using, marketing or distributing
> application programs conforming to the application programming
> interface for the operating platform for which the sample programs
> are written.
...and this is a non-free restriction.
> These examples have not been thoroughly tested under all
> conditions. IBM, therefore, cannot guarantee or imply reliability,
> serviceability, or function of these programs.
Usual disclaimer.
> If you are viewing this information softcopy, the photographs and
> color illustrations may not appear.
Informational, no effect.
--
There are none so blind as those who will not see.
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