permission to use spec files in other projects (Was Re: clamav)

[Greg DeKoenigsberg]

On Wed, 26 Sep 2007, Josh Boyer wrote:

>>>>> Further questions arise from Fedora maintainers reusing/modifying
>>>>> upstream specs and/or specs from other origins (e.g. other distros).
>>>>> They can be covered by other copyrights/licenses (e.g. the GPL).
>>>>
>>>> Since spec files are specific to RPM packaging, could it be better if
>>>> rpm.org set the standard?  It could be a bigger first step toward all
>>>> sources of spec files being license compatible.
>>>
>>> What?  That's the equivalent of saying that the GNU Make project should
>>> set the copyright on all makefiles...
>>
>> No, it's not.
>
> How is it not?  rpm.org is the upstream for rpm.  Spec files are used
> to build RPMs and are interpreted by the rpm program.  Makefiles are
> interpreted by make.
>
> Explain please.

I don't think there's any clear right answer or wrong answer.  There is 
merely the expedient answer that everyone can (a) readily understand and 
(b) live with.  Because really, how important is this issue?  Just because 
people want to know the answer, it does not necessarily follow that people 
care deeply what that answer *is*.

Having a spec file follow the license of the content it's written to 
describe seems like a sensible idea to me.

Having a spec file be completely public domain also makes sense to me.

Having a spec file be BSD so that the original author gets credit for 
writing the spec file also makes sense to me.

But really, how deeply should we care?  Maybe it's best to ask Spot to 
make a call.  He's "the licensing guy".  Let him make a sensible decision 
and move on.

--g

-- 
Greg DeKoenigsberg
Community Development Manager
Red Hat, Inc. :: 1-919-754-4255
"To whomsoever much hath been given...
...from him much shall be asked"