[sane-devel] Misleading license information for Image Scan v3

[Linux-epson-scanner]

Hello.
I am working for the Linux scanner driver at Seiko EPSON.

I am sorry to keep you waiting.
I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused this time.
I have already resolved the follow issue.
Please confirm.

Best regards,

-----Original Message-----
From: Olaf Meeuwissen [mailto:paddy-hack at member.fsf.org] 
Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2016 6:30 PM
To: Linux-epson-scanner
Cc: sane-devel
Subject: Re: [sane-devel] Misleading license information for Image Scan v3

Some two months ago I wrote:

> Yesterday, I wrote:
>
>> Dear Sir/Madam,
>>
>> While doing some user support on the sane-devel mailing list, I 
>> noticed that your download site is providing misleading license 
>> information for Image Scan v3.
>>
>> The license information[1] for Image Scan v3 only mentions the GNU 
>> General Public License, version 3.  While this is correct for the 
>> Source File Downloads[2], it is downright misleading for the binary 
>> Package Download[3].  The binary package download for many models 
>> includes one or more non-free plugins.  So far, I am aware of one 
>> plugin to enable a device's network scan functionality and another 
>> for OCR functionality (likely to be device independent).
>>
>> Please change the license information to tell the truth or make the 
>> plugins available under the terms of the GNU General Public License, 
>> version 3.
>>
>>  [1] 
>> http://download.ebz.epson.net/dsc/du/02/eula/global/LINUX_EN.html
>>  [2] http://support.epson.net/linux/src/scanner/imagescanv3/
>>  [3] http://support.epson.net/linux/en/imagescanv3.php
>
> I have since downloaded the debian bundle and taken a look at the 
> licenses.  FTR, I did neither install nor use the software.  I simply 
> extracted the archive and the debian packages' filesystem tarball to 
> have a look at the licenses.
>
> The network plugin is licensed under the AVASYS PUBLIC LICENSE and the 
> OCR plugin is covered by the SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION SOFTWARE LICENSE 
> AGREEMENT.  Both licenses are mentioned for Image Scan! for Linux and 
> definitely non-free and GPL incompatible.  I understand that Image 
> Scan
> v3 runs these plugins in separate processes to avoid a GPL violation.
>
> I assume that you just forgot to add these for Image Scan v3 when you 
> added the plugins to the "bundle".  You can easily fix that by adding 
> them to the list of licenses for Image Scan v3 on [1].
>
> # I and many others would much prefer to see these plugins released as 
> # Free Software, though.

I just checked again today but *nothing* seems to have changed.  Could you please fix the misleading licensing information for Image Scan v3?

BTW, I have Bcc:d a few mail addresses that I found in the Debian binary packaging files.  If those people could bring this up as well that would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
-- 
Olaf Meeuwissen, LPIC-2            FSF Associate Member since 2004-01-27
 GnuPG key: F84A2DD9/B3C0 2F47 EA19 64F4 9F13  F43E B8A4 A88A F84A 2DD9
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