On Sun, May 09, 1999 at 09:25:43PM -0700, Joel Klecker wrote:
> >> I am not entirely convinced that it is correct to knock
> >> SSLeay/OpenSSL to non-free merely because of a patent (the holder of
> >> the patent would have us believe it is valid worldwide, which is BS,
> >> since no such thing as a "worldwide software patent" exists).
> >
> >IDEA isn't non-free. It's covered by a patent.
>
> 2.1.4. The non-free section
> ---------------------------
>
> `Non-free' contains packages which are not compliant with the DFSG or
> ^^
> which are encumbered by patents or other legal issues that make their
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> distribution problematic.
In that case.....
I propose the above be removed right away. Software covered by patents
is in no way non-free. Just because where _I_ live has stupid laws which
allow things like the lzw algorithm to be patented (seperately and by two
seperate companies no less) doesn't mean people in the rest of the world
can't use things such as giflib.
The same holds true for things like RSA and IDEA.
I therefore propose the following change be made to policy:
2.1.4. The non-free section
---------------------------
`Non-free' contains packages which are not compliant with the DFSG
or which are encumbered by legal issues which render the software's
distribution problematic.
We now have a non-us server in a country which software patents are
illegal. We can happily distribute them there. Note that if this
argument isn't good enough nothing can be in non-us/main because in the
US at least distribution of stuff containing crypto software is
problematic.
Asking for comments and seconds, though I am fairly sure seconds are
probably moot as changing this definition probably cannot be done within
the confines of just the -policy list any more than the proposal to
redefine main to exclude packages like tik could be done here. If I'm
wrong about this, someone say so. It's currently 02:41 and I'm tired.
With that, good night! =>
--
Joseph Carter <knghtbrd@debian.org> Debian GNU/Linux developer
PGP: E8D68481E3A8BB77 8EE22996C9445FBE The Source Comes First!
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<stu> apt: !bugs
<apt> !bugs are stupid
<dpkg> apt: are stupid? what's that?
<apt> dpkg: i don't know
<dpkg> apt: Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder...
<apt> i already had it that way, dpkg.
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