[Debichem-devel] pymatgen-test-files_2022.0.17-1_amd64.changes REJECTED

[Drew Parsons]

On 2022-02-12 12:00, Thorsten Alteholz wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> please remove all cif-files that are copyright by Springer.
> Please also check the other files whether they are distributable.


Thanks for the scrutiny, Thorsten.

What's our position on attribution licences?

test_files/C26H16BeN2O2S2.cif and Cod_2100513.cif,  nosymm.cif declares

# The file may be used within the scientific community so long as
# proper attribution is given to the journal article from which the
# data were obtained.

The reference to scientific community seems a null op.  What if a 
merchant bank wants to use the file, and is happy to provide the 
requested attribution?

That aside, does the request (or demand, really) for attribution make it 
non-free?  Attribution clauses are a bit of a grey area.  The BSD 
licence is an attribution licence really.  Any licence, for that matter, 
if you think about it that way ("this work is derived from ...").


As far as Springer goes, not sure why they're laying claim to the cif 
structures in their materials database (e.g. PF_sd_1002871.cif = 
https://materials.springer.com/isp/crystallographic/docs/sd_1002871).  
The source journal is Inorganic Chemistry, ACS Publications, not 
Springer.  Looks like a dodgy copyright to me.


Drew