[Debian-med-packaging] Bug#645487: ensembl: includes GPL code without source

[Jonathan Nieder]

Andreas Tille wrote:
> On Sun, Oct 16, 2011 at 03:51:18AM -0500, Jonathan Nieder wrote:

>> Unfortunately no such file exists --- I guess it disappeared during
>> some upgrade.  The jars in the source package only contain class
>> files, no .java source files.
>>
>> Assuming that what debian/copyright says is correct, this would make
>> the ensembl package non-distributable:
>
> In how far would this make the package non-distributable?  Just
> providing the binary without source is OK as long as you can provide
> the source at request.

We're veering off-topic, but the section 6 of GPL-3 you are referring
to says:

    b) Convey the object code in, or embodied in, a physical product
    (including a physical distribution medium), accompanied by a
    written offer, valid for at least three years and valid for as
    long as you offer spare parts or customer support for that product
    model, to give anyone who possesses the object code either (1) a
[...]

    c) Convey individual copies of the object code with a copy of the
    written offer to provide the Corresponding Source.  This
    alternative is allowed only occasionally and noncommercially, and
    only if you received the object code with such an offer, in accord
    with subsection 6b.

I don't believe you received such a three-year offer accompanying a
diskette with the .jar files and are passing it on.

[...]
>> notify the admins of snapshot.debian.org so the nondistributable
>> versions can be removed. 
>
> This would be pure overreaction.

What's the harm in it?  I don't mean that the admins should treat this
as a high priority, just that that's the normal thing to do when code
is discovered to be nondistributable.