On Wed, Nov 3, 2010 at 8:58 PM, Charles Plessy
<plessy@debian.org> wrote:
Le Wed, Nov 03, 2010 at 02:05:15PM -0400, Scott Howard a écrit :
>
> I'm the maintainer of sandboxgamemaker, currently a contrib package
> because upstream's license is restrictive regarding content
> distribution.
>
> However, upstream has worked to make their license more permissive so
> that the package can be included in main.
>
> The new license is below [http://www.svn.kids.platinumarts.net/32pas32/trunk/LICENSE.txt]:
>
> "You are free to use and redistribute Platinum Arts Sandbox Free 3D Game Maker
> (Sandbox) in binary and/or source code form if the following
> conditions are met:
Dear Scott and Platinum Arts,
I do not know if it is on purpose or if it is a simple omission, but the license
does not allow modification of Sandbox, nor redistribution of modified versions.
This is asked by the Debian Free Software Guideline #3:
http://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines
For the advertisement clause (n°3), I know that Debian has traditionally
allowed some since the original BSD license had one, but in my personnal
opinion, they are borderline in respect of the DFSG #6 (The license must not
restrict anyone from making use of the program in a specific field of
endeavor). I see that in the clause for educators (n°7), the wording is to
‘request’ to contact Platinum Arts. Perhaps the ‘must’ of the advertisement
clause could be reworded similarly? This brings a very similar message to the
user, but (an maybe other readers may confirm) gives the ounce of flexibility
necessary for making that point more in line with the spirit of the DFSG #6, if
not with the practice.
(By the way, although the infrastructure is not ready yet, and may take a long
time, some maintainers of medical scientific packages are facing a similar
problem of having software under strong pressure for acknowledgement (in that
case, the source of funding for the project), and we intend to solve this by
adding better metadata to the package itself, which indicates what to
acknowledge, where to donate, where users can register, etc. This will take
time, but we think that it is a better way to support Upstream in return for
the software they give us.)
Have a nice thay, and many thanks to you and Platinum Arts for your efforts
with licensing !
--
Charles Plessy
Tsurumi, Kanagawa, Japan