Niklas Vainio wrote: > On Tue, May 04, 2004 at 06:10:06PM +0530, Mahesh T. Pai wrote: > >> > xzx's license forbids modification but we have a diff of over 30 kB. It >> > looks like it's undistributable in the current form. See bug 240941. >> >>Where is the license text available? > > > All packages have a link to their license text in the package page. > > Here's the text: > http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/non-free/x/xzx/xzx_3.0.1-2/copyright
In the future, it is helpful for debian-legal if requests to review a license are accompanied by the full text of the license, for the purposes of quoting and comment. The full text follows. - Josh Triplett xzx license: > Permission to use, distribute, and sell this software and its documentation > for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above > copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and > this permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that the name > of the copyright holder not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to > distribution of the software without specific, written prior permission. The > copyright holder makes no representations about the suitability of this > software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied > warranty. THE CODE MAY NOT BE MODIFIED OR REUSED WITHOUT PERMISSION! > > THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, > INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, IN NO > EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR > CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, > DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER > TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR > PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE. As you said, this license clearly prohibits all modification. permission notice: > However, I would appreciate if you distribute a binary-only version with > Debian. In that case I could give you the permission to change the source > code (only to make it compile under Debian Linux). > > You must not change any version number, copyright notice nor documentation > of XZX. There is a XZX distribution for RedHat available. > > BTW starting with version 2.2.0 XZX is no longer freeware. But a shareware > version will still be available. For more detailed information look at XZX's > homepage. > [signature snipped] This permission notice is very narrow. Any change not directly related to making the software compile, such as a bugfix (there appears to be at least one in the diff), is not allowed, and neither is distributing the modified source (even in the form of a unified diff, which contains much of the original). Furthermore, as you mentioned, it is unclear who the permission applies to. I think the package should be removed. - Josh Triplett
