Re: Empty source file with proprietary header

[Ben Finney <ben+debian@benfinney.id.au>]

Mehdi Dogguy <mehdi.dogguy@pps.jussieu.fr> writes:

> While packaging a software for Debian, I found an empty file under a
> proprietary license in upstream's tarball. The file contains only the
> header which says who is the copyright holder and the license under
> which it was released. There is no source code in it, at all.

There are two possibilities that seem plausible to me:

* the file is restricted by copyright, and the stated license terms
  apply

* the file is not restricted by copyright

Each of these could be true in different jurisdictions, of course.

> I was wondering whether such file can be part of a Debian package (the
> .orig tarball)?

I think it's best if they are removed. Does their removal have any
adverse effect on the binary package?

> FTM, I removed those files and made a clean dfsg tarball.

I think you've done the right thing.

-- 
 \        “The restriction of knowledge to an elite group destroys the |
  `\                   spirit of society and leads to its intellectual |
_o__)                                impoverishment.” —Albert Einstein |
Ben Finney