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Re: Unclear source data situation



No comments on this?

On Viernes 10 Diciembre 2010 13:08:58 Noel David Torres Taño escribió:
> Hello all:
> 
> I'm in the process of packaging kstars-data-extra-tycho2 (
> http://mentors.debian.net/cgi-bin/sponsor-
> pkglist?action=details;package=kstars-data-extra-tycho2 ) and after long
> and detailed conversationw with original developer Mr. Akarsh Simha from
> KStars team, the point is as follows:
> 
> KStars distributes a file named deepstars.dat from its web. It is not part
> of the normal bundled KStars we have in Debian.
> 
> deepstars.dat is GPL as it is stated in
> http://edu.kde.org/kstars/downloads/knewstuff.xml and confirmed by Mr.
> Simha.
> 
> The data KStars team used was downloaded from now-offline NASA ADC, whose
> use policy can be seen today at
> http://web.archive.org/web/20070303235508/http://adc.astro.umd.edu/adc/ques
> tions_feedback.html#policies1
> 
> It mentions that data is in the Public Domain unless specified in the
> ReadMe file. The ReadMe can be visited today in
> http://web.archive.org/web/20060908122029/adc.astro.umd.edu/cgi-
> bin/adc/cat.pl?/catalogs/1/1259/ and seems to be the same than actually-
> available ReadMe at CDS: http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/myqcat3?I/259/
> 
> So, trusting all that, deepstars.dat is a GPL file based on PD data.
> 
> Doubt arises from the fact that Tycho-2 data was announced by Mr. Erik Høg
> et al in 2000 at Astronomy and Astrophysics (paper can be retrieved at
> http://www.astro.ku.dk/~erik/Tycho-2/letter.pdf) and published on 8 Feb.
> 2000 but its Guide (available at
> http://www.astro.ku.dk/~erik/Tycho-2/guide.pdf ) does not mention anything
> about licensing, and data available at CDS does not do it, neither. Mr.
> Høg has not answered me when I contacted him.
> 
> Moreover, data of the Tycho-2 catalog comes from observations by the
> Hipparcos mission of ESA, and we have no License statement from ESA,
> anyway.
> 
> As the package is to be sponsored and about to enter Debian, I would like
> clarification about this all, since we (Mr. Simha and myself) want to have
> this as clear as possible to avoid damages to both projects (Debian and
> KStars).
> 
> As a last resort, it would be possible to create a new deepstars.dat using
> only USNO NOMAD data (we have confidence that it is PD). It could be
> functionally equivalent for the program, but it will not be the Tycho2
> catalog as users could expect.
> 
> many thanks
> 
> Noel
> kstars-data-extra-tycho2 (prospective) maintainer
> 
> P.S. Please maintain CC to Mr. Simha


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