License checking (was Re: Tags (searching))

[David Lawyer <dave@lafn.org>]

On Sat, Jun 17, 2000 at 03:55:56AM -0700, der.hans wrote:
> 
> We also need to start making sure the licenses meet the LDP's
> requirements. If they use the magic form we provide, auto checking
> can be used. If they use something else, we need to verify manually.
> Maybe the H-H should remind people that we aren't lawyers ( except
> David ;-), but that we do try to make sure we have permission to
> redistribute, etc. Also announcing that not including our *exactly
> worded* license will result in slight delays until the license can
> be verified. This doesn't indicate prejudice against other licenses,
> rather the inability to auto-parse things that don't match a known
> standard. We could auto-parse for other things such as a specific
> statement using the GPL as the license.

When someone submits a new doc they should realize that it may take a
few days or so to check it over.  Such a check is not just for the
license so I don't think that anything needs to be said about any
"slight delays" in the H-H.  We don't really have a LDP license
anymore.  There's a boilerplate license in the manifesto and also a
LDP License (LDPL) at linuxdoc.org/COPYRIGHT.html.  Also Guylhem has
suggested using the new GNU License: GNU Free Documentation License.
I think that the "less restrictive" requirement for derived works in
the LDP License is ambiguous.  I also think that the new GNU license
is overly complex and should not support "Invariant Sections" which
can't be modified.  But that's just my opinion.

Myself, Guylhem, Poet, and Greg Ferguson have been privately
discussing license issues.  We don't agree.  Even if we did it would
need to be discussed on this list before making any changes.  So after
the discussion of SGML dies down (or even if it doesn't) I expect to
post to this list about license issues.  

			David Lawyer


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