Re: How to free US governmental code

[Walter Landry <wlandry@caltech.edu>]

Ole Streicher <olebole@debian.org> wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> In one of the packages I am currently working on (idlastro [1]), some
> files have the following license [2]:
> 
> | Copyright 1992, The Regents of the University of California. This
> | software was produced under U.S. Government contract (W-7405-ENG-36)
> | by Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is operated by the University
> | of California for the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government
> | is licensed to use, reproduce, and distribute this software. Neither
> | the Government nor the University makes any warranty, express or
> | implied, or assumes any liability or responsibility for the use of
> | this software.
> 
> Surely, this makes the code non-free. However, I have no idea whom to
> ask to change to license to something DFGS-compatible.
> 
> What are the experiences with this kind of copyright: are there any
> chances to make it free?

Looking around the ftp site

  http://idlastro.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp/

there is a top level file "LICENSE" dated 2014 that looks like a
simple BSD license for Wayne Landsman.  Since Wayne is also listed as
a contributor to eqpole_grid.pro, he should be sympathetic to
relicensing.  A Google search for "Wayne Landsman Astronomy" turns up
a likely contact at GSFC.  You should ask Wayne directly.  He would
then contact the legal department at UC, though that would involve
some work on his end.

Also, are you planning on distributing

  http://idlastro.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp/pro/misc/blkshift.pro

That and a few other files have a non-commercial use license.

Cheers,
Walter Landry