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Re: Name restriction and forced acknowledgement OK?



On Mon, Feb 13, 2012 at 10:19:04AM +0100, Ole Streicher wrote:
> -----------------------------8<-----------------------------------------
>      [...]

In general, people on this list tend to prefer full license texts plus the
boilerplate.


> 3. You [...] may [...] adapt its code [...] That portion of your
>    distribution that does not consist of intact and unchanged copies of
>    SOFA source code files is a "derived work" that must comply with the
>    following requirements:
>      [...]
>      c. The name(s) of all routine(s) in your derived work shall not
>         include the prefix "iau".

Non-free: It effectively forbids using a modified library as a drop-in
replacement for the original library.
It fails DFSG 3. The restriction is not covered by DFSG 4 ("[...] The license
may require derived works to carry a different name or version number from
the original software. [...]"),
- first, because it refers to the library's interface, not just the name by
  which it is known to people, and
- second, because DFSG 4 only allows forbidding one name, not a name range
  using a wildcard like "iau*" is.


> 4. In any published work or commercial products which includes results
>    achieved by using the SOFA software, you shall acknowledge that the
>    SOFA software was used in obtaining those results.

Such clauses pop up from time to time. I seem to recall that they are
generally viewed as non-free, but right now I cannot find it in the DFSG
either.


Just my two cents. I am not a Debian anything (DD,DM,NM,whatever).
Hope that helps,

  Mark Weyer


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