Re: Request for GR: clarifying the license text licensing / freeness issue
Nathanael Nerode writes ("Re: Request for GR: clarifying the license text licensing / freeness issue"):
> Alternate suggested GR text:
> ---------------------------
> The Debian Project notes that many license texts are copyrighted
> works, licensed only under meta-licenses which prohibit the creation
> of derivative license texts.
>
> We consider this to be undesirable.
I disagree with this position. See Fabian Fagerholm's explanation.
For a strong copyleft licence like the GPL it's particularly
troublesome if people go around making minor edits: all of that code
is licence-incompatible with all unedited-GPL code. So the FSF have
worked to prevent that by using the copyright on their licence text
and I don't think that's unreasonable.
The status quo is quite fine and should be left as it is.
If this is forced to a GR we should have an option along these lines:
We note that many license texts are copyrighted works, licensed only
under meta-licenses which prohibit the creation of derivative
license texts.
We do not consider this a problem.
Ian.
Reply to: