[Pkg-scicomp-devel] Bug#491794: arpack: DFSG-incompatible license

[Timothy G Abbott]

Package: arpack
Severity: serious

I believe the Rice BSD Software License of arpack violates the Debian Free 
Software guidelines (I've included it below for convenience of reference).

Both parts of the fourth clause of the license below seem to violate the 
DFSG.  The first violates the standard Desert Island and Dissident tests. 
I believe it has also been concluded in the past that requiring users to 
cite software is not allowed, which the second sentence violates.

The third clause also seems to violate clause (4) of the DFSG, since it is 
a restriction on distributing modifications other than the specifically 
allowed restriction of requiring the separate distribution of patch files.

 	-Tim Abbott

The ARPACK license is BSD-like.
http://www.caam.rice.edu/software/ARPACK/RiceBSD.doc

Rice BSD Software License
Permits source and binary redistribution of the software ARPACK and
P_ARPACK  for both non-commercial and commercial use.

    Copyright (©) 2001, Rice University
    Developed by D.C. Sorensen, R.B. Lehoucq, C. Yang, and K. Maschhoff.
    All rights reserved.

    Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
    modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
    met:
     . Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
       this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
     . Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
       documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
     . If you modify the source for these routines we ask that you change the
       name of the routine and comment the changes made to the original.
     . Written notification is provided to the developers of  intent to use
       this software.  Also, we ask that use of ARPACK is properly cited in
       any resulting publications or software documentation.
     . Neither the name of Rice University (RICE) nor the names of its
       contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from
       this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY RICE AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND  ANY  EXPRESS
OR  IMPLIED  WARRANTIES,  INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,   THE   IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND  FITNESS  FOR  A  PARTICULAR  PURPOSE  ARE
DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT  SHALL  RICE  OR  CONTRIBUTORS  BE  LIABLE  FOR  ANY
DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR  CONSEQUENTIAL  DAMAGES
(INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,  PROCUREMENT  OF  SUBSTITUTE  GOODS   OR
SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS  INTERRUPTION)  HOWEVER
CAUSED  AND  ON  ANY  THEORY  OF  LIABILITY,  WHETHER  IN  CONTRACT,  STRICT
LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING  IN  ANY  WAY
OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF  SUCH
DAMAGE.