* Norbert Preining <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [071119 17:28]: [liberally snipped] > > And it matters to me that people can get optimal typographic quality. > > So either we have to distribute crippled versions of many documents, > crippled only in the sense that yes, all the information/text is there, > but the layout and design is crippled. Or we do not distribute them at > all. > > Do the DFSG apply to design??? > > What does it mean that a design is free? > > In both cases the user has the FULL RIGHT over the source code, can use > it in any way he likes. Reuse it, alter it, etc etc. But in the second > case he ALSO (!!!!!) has the right to have a nice beautiful well > designed document. > > So do we TAKE rights from the users or GIVE them rights? > > Answers please? > > Best wishes > > Norbert >
IANADD, but I am a Debian user, so let me provide an analogy that might help clarify this. If a software author designs a game, and this game is entirely his own work (with a DFSG compatible license) except for one image file, which has a "freely distributable but only without modifications" license. This game would have to be distributed in non-free (not even contrib would suffice). We are assuming here that the one image file provides substantial aesthetic appeal and the author believes the game to be "best viewed when this image is included". But the game otherwise has a DFSG compatible license, so the Debian packager replaces the image with one that is DFSG-free. This game would definitely be suitable for main. There are, however, several ways that the Debian maintainer could help the user get the free-beer image into the game. For one, he could provide a script that would download the file from the internet. Another solution would be to provide a separate package in non-free that contained the image, and have the game Suggest: the non-free image package (and, of course, automatically use the image if the non-free package is installed). So Charles (the OP) could include his XML-based docs in the package in main, and create a separate package in non-free for the original docs (provided that Debian can distribute them) if he thinks the difference in aesthetic quality is worth the effort. Let me also address your question about taking away rights vs. giving rights. Debian does not promise to give its users all rights. Debian does not even strive to provide its users with all software that is freely distributable. It provides as much DFSG-free software as its developers are willing and able to package. Not distributing something that is not DFSG-free is not taking away rights, it is merely saying that the user must exercise his own right to download it himself. ...Marvin -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
