Bug#854679: Bug#854721: debian-policy: Artistic License 1.0 is not DFSG compliant

[Russ Allbery]

Javier Serrano Polo <javier at jasp.net> writes:

> Please read #854679; it is about the ScummVM-game-License. As I analyze,
> that license breaks DFSG #6 (no discrimination against fields of
> endeavor). Author's intent is clear since he states that using the game
> "in things like commercial adventure game collections without asking is
> just playing dirty". The preamble is not legally binding, but sections 3
> and 4 of the license are.

Regardless of the merits of this concern, this is not an actionable bug
against Debian Policy.  I'm therefore closing it.

Please note that this is not a judgement on whether or not your concerns
about the Artistic License are correct; rather, this is simply outside the
bailiwick of the Debian Policy process.  We aren't the body in Debian that
judges the DFSG compatibility of licenses (that's ftp-master), nor do we
own or can modify the DFSG itself.

You either need to convince ftp-master or you (or someone) need to propose
a GR to change Debian's evaluation of the Artistic License.  In fact, this
may require a GR given the DFSG specifically calls out the Artistic
License as an example of a free license, so depending on one's
interpretation this may require a foundational document change, which is a
supermajority GR.  But that too is outside the scope of the Policy
process; that's a call for the Project Secretary to make.

-- 
Russ Allbery (rra at debian.org)               <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>