Bug#596844: [v-admins] Bug#596844: perl: Text::Tabs might have a non-DFSG-free license

[Debian bug at v.nix.is]

On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 20:30, Niko Tyni <ntyni at debian.org> wrote:
> On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 02:18:15PM +0000, v.nix.is wrote:
>> Package: perl
>> Version: 5.10.1-14
>> Severity: normal
>> Tags: upstream
>>
>> Text::Tabs which is shipped with both upstream perl and the Debian
>> version has this license, (highlight by me):
>>
>>    Copyright (C) 1996-2002,2005,2006 David Muir Sharnoff.  Copyright
>>    (C) 2005 Aristotle Pagaltzis This module may be modified, used,
>>    copied, and redistributed at your own risk. __Publicly
>>    redistributed modified versions must use a different name__.
>>
>> It seems that the license forbids any downstream patches without
>> changing the name,
>
> Quoting DFSG #4:
>
>  [...] The license may require derived works to carry a different name or
>  version number from the original software. (This is a compromise. The
>  Debian group encourages all authors not to restrict any files, source
>  or binary, from being modified.)
>
>> so this situation seems very similar to what Debian
>> has with Firefox, where the name has been changed to Iceweasel to work
>> around such a clause.
>
> I believe the Iceweasel rename was done primarily because the Firefox
> logos were non-free, which made it necessary for Debian to modify the
> software in such a way that it couldn't be called Firefox anymore.
>
> Anyway, this does not seem to be a DFSG violation. The license should
> certainly be listed in debian/copyright though. I'll add it for the
> next upload. Please let me know if you have further concerns or if I
> can close this bug at that point.

Thanks. It looks like you can close this bug, but having it in the
copyright file would be very useful.

Thanks!