Re: Request for GR: clarifying the license text licensing / freeness issue

[Ian Jackson <ian@davenant.greenend.org.uk>]

Nathanael Nerode writes ("Re: Request for GR: clarifying the license text licensing / freeness issue"):
> Alternate suggested GR text:
> ---------------------------

> The Debian Project notes that many license texts are copyrighted
> works, licensed only under meta-licenses which prohibit the creation
> of derivative license texts.
> 
> We consider this to be undesirable.

I disagree with this position.  See Fabian Fagerholm's explanation.
For a strong copyleft licence like the GPL it's particularly
troublesome if people go around making minor edits: all of that code
is licence-incompatible with all unedited-GPL code.  So the FSF have
worked to prevent that by using the copyright on their licence text
and I don't think that's unreasonable.

The status quo is quite fine and should be left as it is.

If this is forced to a GR we should have an option along these lines:

  We note that many license texts are copyrighted works, licensed only
  under meta-licenses which prohibit the creation of derivative
  license texts.

  We do not consider this a problem.

Ian.