[Debichem-devel] gamgi_0.13.9-1_i386.changes REJECTED

[Michael Banck]

On Sat, Dec 13, 2008 at 06:29:21PM +0100, Morten Kjeldgaard wrote:
> On 13/12/2008, at 15.31, Frank Lichtenheld wrote:
>
>> License problems (without claims of completeness):
>>
>> Files: src/io/gamgi_io_file.c
>> X-Comment: This license applies to portions of the file.
>> Copyright: Copyright © 1996,  Mark J. Kilgard
>> License:
>> This program is freely distributable without licensing fees
>>  and is provided without guarantee or warrantee expressed or
>>   implied. This program is -not- in the public domain.
>>
>> I see no right to modify in here.
>
> This is a bit strange, and I was not sure how to handle it in copyright. 
> The statement attributing copyright to Mark J. Kilgard appears in the 
> middle of the source file rc/io/gamgi_io_file.c . However, at the top of 
> that same file, it seems upstream is re-distributing the file using GPL:
>
> /******************************************
>  *
>  * $GAMGI/src/io/gamgi_io_file.c
>  *
>  * Copyright (C) 2004 Carlos Pereira
>  *
>  * Distributed under the terms of the GNU
>  * General Public License: $GAMGI/LICENSE
>  *
>  */
>
> Perhaps upstream cannot do that?

Indeed, one can only relicense code if the license allows this, e.g.
BSD->GPL, but even then the original copyright has to be kept.  If there
had been an agreement with Mark J. Kilgard about this, it should have
been explained here.

> It is not at all clear from the context what parts of the file stem from 
> Kilgard's work, and is seems the functions following the copyright 
> statement have been heavily edited to fit upstream's coding style and 
> functions have been renamed to gamgi_*.

Yeah; however, from a quick google search I would assume only the
gamgi_io_file_export_ps() method is copyright by Mark J. Kilgard, as he
seemed to be mostly occupied with EPS export.

Can you please contact Carlos Pereira about this (and the other issue)
for clarification?


Michael