On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 10:08:30 -0400 David Nusinow wrote: > On Sat, Apr 28, 2007 at 12:15:25PM +0200, Francesco Poli wrote: > > On Sat, 28 Apr 2007 11:00:06 +0100 Ben Hutchings wrote: > > > > > Ben Finney <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > [...] [...] > > Mmmmh, would I be allowed to grab the Debian package, and rename it > > as ion3, without other modifications (and distribute the result > > whenever I feel like doing so)? > > > > I mean: would the clause be really nullified? Or rather, would it > > just not apply to Debian, but still be ready to kick in as soon as I > > do something to the package? > > I'm definitely uncomfortable with sleeping clauses which could get > > suddenly awake when you least expect... :-( > > This doesn't matter, it's still free. If you derive GPL software, you > can't violate the terms of the GPL license and yet that GPL software > still remains Free by the DFSG definition. Same with a renamed ion > derivative, if you derive from a renamed ion and violate its license, > the renamed ion remains Free.
The point was that the clause under consideration, which is a non-free restriction, could re-emerge after being made seemingly non-applying by the renaming. Of course the DFSG don't insist that I be allowed to violate the terms of a license! GNU GPL v2 terms, however, do not include any non-free restriction, while the clause under consideration is non-free: this is why I was concerned by the possible failure to nullify it! Anyway, this discussion is probably moot now, since upstream is now considering a different licensing scheme: sticking to LGPL as far as copyright is concerned, and adding (non-free) trademark restrictions. Please see http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2007/04/msg00252.html -- http://frx.netsons.org/doc/nanodocs/testing_workstation_install.html Need to read a Debian testing installation walk-through? ..................................................... Francesco Poli . GnuPG key fpr == C979 F34B 27CE 5CD8 DC12 31B5 78F4 279B DD6D FCF4
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