Bug#556015: debian-policy: Clarify requirements for copyright file

[Charles Plessy <plessy@debian.org>]

Le Fri, Dec 04, 2009 at 04:44:51PM -0800, Russ Allbery a écrit :
> 
> <p>
>   Every binary package must include a verbatim copy of its
>   copyright and distribution license in the file
>   <file>/usr/share/doc/<var>package</var>/copyright</file> or
>   symlink the <file>/usr/share/doc/<var>package</var> directory to
>   a package that does (see <ref id="copyrightfile"> for further
>   details).

Dear Russ and everybody,

a small nitpicking here: in many packages, the copy of the license and
copyright information is not verbatim. For instance:

 - we correct the FSF address in the GPL,
 - we often collapse copyright statements.

While I have no doubt that the current wording is not ambiguous for active
developers, I am a little bit concerned that it could confuse newcommers.

I understand that ‘verbatim’ is already in the current Policy wording, but
since the topic of this bug is ‘Clarify requirements for copyright file’, I
wonder if it should be addressed. In that case, we may need to wait for the
report of the SPI lawyers who were asked some questions related to this issue…

Have a nice day,

-- 
Charles Plessy
Tsurumi, Kanagawa, Japan