Re: SSH never free

[Richard Braakman <dark@xs4all.nl>]

Raul Miller wrote:
> On Sat, Oct 02, 1999 at 06:05:53PM +1000, Herbert Xu wrote:
> > Here's a quote from the policy:
> > 
> >      `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.
> 
> Encumbered by patents should be non-us, not non-free.  And even there,
> only for cases where someone makes an issue of it.

Depends on what kind of "encumbered".  Currently we put packages with
problematic _distribution_ in non-us, and packages with problematic
_use_ in non-free.  

I agree with the latter point, though.  There's no clean way to deal with
patents, we will have to judge real-world effects in each case.

> Reason?  Everything is encumbered by patents.  At least in the U.S.,
> you're presumed to be guilty of patent infringement until proven innocent.

To support this: As an excercise, try writing any program that you can
*prove* does not infringe on any patents.

> I propose that the above language be changed to:
> 
>       `Non-free' contains packages which are not compliant with the DFSG.

This will put all GIF-creating packages in main.  Is that what we want?

Richard Braakman