New candidates for inclusion in Extras : udftools and starfighter-music

[Ralf Corsepius]

On Thu, 2005-02-10 at 19:09 +0100, Michael Schwendt wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 16:26:13 +0100, Nils Philippsen wrote:
> 
> > On Mon, 2005-02-07 at 13:54 +0100, Michael Schwendt wrote:
> > > On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 13:19:17 +0100, Matthias Saou wrote:
> > > 
> > > > Here are packages I'd like to add to Extras :
> > > 
> > > > - starfighter-music : My current starfighter package doesn't bundle the

> > > This package is at most "License: Public Domain", but not GPL.
> > 
> > This would indeed be the case if and only if the original authors
> > explicitly state that their work is in the Public Domain which would
> > probably be taken as a similar statement without waiver of copyright in
> > countries like Germany (but IANAL). Do we really have statements to that
> > effect from the original authors?
> 
> Let me ask a different question, please, since the discussion leads to
> nowhere so far. We need solutions. Decisions. 

> So, here's the question:
> 
> Generally, how do we treat FOSS packages which include binary music files
> or graphics and which don't cover that artwork with any special purpose
> licence? 

> The important bit is how this music was released originally.

IANAL, but I don't see how the licensing situation of "artwork" is any
different from that of other files in a package[1]. "Artwork" files are
"just files" and therefore are covered by licenses.
 To be able to ship such files as part of the sources, the authors must
be legally legitimated to do so, i.e. they must have a license
permitting them to do so.

 As packager/distributor you must have a license permitting you to
redistribute the binary package.

As with most other files, you have almost no chance to track the license
situation down and clarify it definitively. All you can do is to review
the code and trust the program author and the license issued by him.
I.e. you try to refer all potential licensing/copyright infringement
claims to him. It's up to you (the packager) to "trust the authors" and
take the risk or to leave it.

Ralf

[1] In Germany, "free software" written by "free authors" at "free will"
legally is/can be considered "creative artwork" and covered by the same
laws.