[Pkg-openssl-devel] Why is OpenSSL not in non-free?

[Adrian Bunk]

On Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 01:36:29PM +0000, MJ Ray wrote:
> Adrian Bunk <bunk at stusta.de> wrote:
> > Could someone update http://wiki.debian.org/DFSGLicenses and 
> > http://www.debian.org/legal/licenses/ accordingly?
> >
> > Currently both pages sound as if it the 4-clause BSD licence would not
> > meet the DFSG.
> 
> I'd happily update http://www.debian.org/legal/licenses/ but I can't
> see how it makes it sounds as if 4-clause BSD wouldn't meet DFSG. Can
> you clarify?

<--  snip  -->

"This site presents the opinion of debian-legal contributors on how 
certain licenses follow the Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG).
...
Licenses currently found in Debian main include:
...
  - "Modified BSD License"
...

<--  snip  -->

This excludes the unmodified BSD License.

If the 4-clause BDS License is considered to meet the DFSG, then this 
should be something like "4-clause, 3-clause and 2-clause BSD License".

Or just "BSD License".

> I don't want to encourage it because it has practical
> problems when combined with the GPLs, but it's OK for main.

The encouragement is already split from the listing of what is 
considered to meet the DFSG below.

In "we encourage most maintainers to use one of the common licenses: 
GPL, LGPL, BSD, or Artistic" you can change the "BSD" to something like
"3-clause or 2-clause BSD".

> I can't update http://wiki.debian.org/DFSGLicenses well and everyone
> should be very reluctant to use an unattributed wiki as a primary
> source.  I didn't find much there about 4-clause BSD either, really.
>...

<--  snip  -->

=== The Big DFSG-compatible Licenses
...
== The 3-clause BSD License
...
(This is distinct from the original, 4-clause BSD license that included 
an advertising requirement. The original license is now deprecated even 
by the BSD project.)
...

<--  snip  -->

That's the only mentioning of it.

Either the 3-clause restriction should there be dropped, or the 4-clause 
BSD License should be listed separately (e.g. under "Minor DFSG-Capable 
Licenses").

cu
Adrian

-- 

       "Is there not promise of rain?" Ling Tan asked suddenly out
        of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days.
       "Only a promise," Lao Er said.
                                       Pearl S. Buck - Dragon Seed