Oops, let me edit that:

If we ARE allowed to do it, then I'd rather have one file so we don't have to determine whether we need to distinguish between the two cases and have to maintain additional artifacts. For me, this has nothing to do with courtesy, it has to do with easing the maintenance.

However, if we are NOT allowed to do so, then we have no choice.

-> richard

On 10/12/09 14:51, Richard S. Hall wrote:
If we are not allowed to do it, then I'd rather have one file so we don't have to determine whether we need to distinguish between the two cases and have to maintain additional artifacts. For me, this has nothing to do with courtesy, it has to do with easing the maintenance.

However, if we are not allowed to do so, then we have no choice.

-> richard

On 10/12/09 14:46, Felix Meschberger wrote:
Hi,

Thanks for bringing this up (again). The problem I have had for some
time now, is that our NOTICE files are not really consistent with the
legal intent of the NOTICE files.

Basically, the NOTICE files are part of the legal setup of Apache
products. As such they have have a fixed predefined header:

     Apache [PRODUCT_NAME]
     Copyright [yyyy] The Apache Software Foundation

     This product includes software developed at
     The Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org/).

This includes everything we might pack from other Apache projects.

For third party stuff included we have two options:

   * attribution is required: add this to the NOTICE file
   * attribution not required: do not add

Point is that the NOTICE file is not the place for courtesy -- it is the
place for legal requirements (and it is referred to by the LICENSE text
when it comes to redistributing ASF works).

Our full freedom to attribute to everything that we need, use, include
etc. is the README file:

   * some project description
   * some documentation links
   * issue tracking links
   * .... more ....

Using the README file we might even distinguish between souce and binary
and collective releases.

Therefore I propose:

   * we turn your prooposed NOTICE structure into a proposed structure
     for README files and be more verbose with respect to differences
     of source and binary distributions.

   * limit the contents of the NOTICE file to the bare legal minimum.

Regards
Felix

[1] http://www.apache.org/legal/src-headers.html#notice

Richard S. Hall schrieb:
After reviewing the latest framework and HTTP Service releases, I
realize that pretty much all of our projects both "include" and "use"
Apache developed software (if nothing else, all projects depend on Maven to build). It seems silly to list Apache under both "include" and "use",
especially since the main point of the NOTICE file is for third-party
notices.

I want to propose that we change our NOTICE file template to factor out
the Apache notice at the top and only use the remaining sections for
third-party notices; for example, here is a new NOTICE file for framework:

     Apache Felix Framework
     Copyright 2009 The Apache Software Foundation

     This project was developed at the Apache Software Foundation
     (http://www.apache.org) and may have dependencies on other
     Apache projects licensed under Apache License 2.0.

     I. Included Third-Party Software

     This product includes software developed at
     The OSGi Alliance (http://www.osgi.org/).
     Copyright (c) OSGi Alliance (2000, 2009).
     Licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

     II. Used Third-Party Software

     This product uses software developed at
     The OSGi Alliance (http://www.osgi.org/).
     Copyright (c) OSGi Alliance (2000, 2009).
     Licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

     This product uses software developed at
     The Codehaus (http://www.codehaus.org)
     Licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

     III. Overall License Summary
     - Apache License 2.0

To be clear, the new boilerplate would be:

     Apache Felix AAA
     Copyright 2009 The Apache Software Foundation

     This software was developed at the Apache Software Foundation
     (http://www.apache.org) and may have dependencies on other
     Apache software licensed under Apache License 2.0.

     I. Included Third-Party Software

     BBB

     II. Used Third-Party Software

     CCC

     III. Overall License Summary
     - Apache License 2.0
     - DDD

Where BBB and CCC would only reference third-party dependencies and DDD
would list their licenses.

What do you think?

->  richard

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