Hi, folks! This is not really Debian related, but nevertheless, please have a look at the license draft below.
Word explaination: A tracker is a raster sequencer program with a built-in sample-based synthesizer, or the user of such a program. A sample is a digital sound recording. The score to play and the samples are usually packed together into one big file called module. Some thoughts: The TPL has no warranty disclaimer. Instead, it enforces a warranty on not violating copyrights. The license is not valid for the whole module file, but only for the score parts. So, although the score of a module might be TPLed, the entire module file might be completely non-free. The license does not explicitly allow to copy verbatim on any media with or without a fee (violates DFSG §1). The license allows derived works, but, literally read, it enforces their redistribution. Derived works for ones personal use are not allowed (violates DFSG §6). Also, this license is too narrow, as it only applies to tracker modules. Derived works are not neccessarily tracker modules, but MP3s or MIDI files. There are restrictions on public performance (violates DFSG §6). The license has no termination clause ;o) Bye, Thomas - - - - - <quote src="http://www.gaos.org/freemusic/tpl-0.0.2.txt"> Trackers Public License (TPL) Version 0.02 by Sven Windisch, Germany [EMAIL PROTECTED] -= Preface =- Any public license, given for Software, has its biggest interest on showing, that the Software, distributed under this license, is given with absolutely no warranty. Rather than this, a public license for music should define Copyrights for the musician, who composes a tracked piece of music, the musician, who wants to remix that piece and for the audience, which wants to hear it and maybe wants to copy it for its own use or for friends or as a gift. We have to distinguish between the samples and the work, with which the samples were put together. A note about the origin of the samples is indisputable, so every tracker has to give the audience knowledge about the origin of the samples they are hearing. The tracking-process itself is not so complicated, because it's clear, that this comes from the author of the piece of music. If you want to know more about the Copyright around tracked music look at: http://www.united-trackers.org/resources/copyright/ I hope that this TPL will show, that the right for free information research, claimed in every democracy of the world, is worth to be realized. 20th August 2000, Sven Windisch -= Chapter I =- Downloading, Saving, Hearing The Download of this piece oft tracked music is free. This means, that you can download it without any fear of violating copyrights. You can save it on your Harddisk or on any other place you want to save it. BUT ONLY FOR YOUR OWN USE ! (For public use see Ch. III) And of course you, and only you, can hear it as often as you want. -= Chapter II =- Changing, Remixing You may change or remix the Track as you want, as long as you make a note of the Name of the Author of the original and of the changes you made.You have to redistribute your remix under the TPL (See HowTo). Otherway it's not allowed to change or remix it. -= Chapter III =- Public performance You are allowed to perform this piece of music to the public, as long as you remark the Author. If you want to perform any remix or sth. that relates to the original you have to remark the Name of the Author of the original and the Name of the piece of music you want to perform. -= HowTo =- What to do, if I want to distribute my tracked music under the TPL? First of all, it's necessary, that this is really YOUR piece of tracked music. If there's any violation of any law, it's not allowed to distribute this music under the TPL. Then you have to give a remark of the origin of the samples you used, along with the track. You have to mark your track with your name (artist name is enough) and an adress, where the audience can reach you (e-mail adress is recommended). A very important point is, to make clear, that this piece of tracked music is distributed under the TPL, so you should remark it on a place, it could be seen. Then you have to distribute it on a place where mostly everyone interested could get it for free. (Internet should be the first place) </quote>