Follow-up Comment #8, task #13205 (project administration): > > It's just a pointer, like own's GPL usage, though less verbose, > > of course, and much more direct. The pointed file contains all > > the information, including copyright and license version.
> For the reference: I looked at > http://git.claws-mail.org/?p=claws.git;a=blob;f=COPYING;h=bd673f83 > It doesn't say files are GPLv3 or later, so I'd interpret this as > "GPLv3-only"; AFAIK default GPL usage is always 'or later' unless specifically removed, but there's no problem in clarifying that in the header. > formally, COPYING is a modification of the GPLv3, which is forbidden. That's simply not true, the license in COPYING is bit by bit the content of http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.txt It's pretty clear where the license starts, and the GPL howto¹ itself says “In GNU programs the license is usually in a file called COPYING.” not that the COPYING file must contain *only* the license. > There are also other practical concerns: let us imagine that the > files are copied to another project where the texts of licenses > (for different files) are GPL, LGPL, MIT and a few more, and > COPYING is Apache 2.0; the context would be lost, unlike if you > put the notices as the GPL recommends. There's no way you can defend against bad copying practices: let's imagine only the code is copied and not the comments, for example. Putting a longer notice won't prevent this. If the developer doing the copy is aware of licensing it will incorporate COPYING content into its own COPYING file and/or do the required modifications so the context is not lost. Anyway when copying our two-line pointer is pretty clear where the file came: # This file is part of Claws Mail package. # See COPYING file for license details. Even if this appear in a source file of a Foobar project, I think everybody can understand the license referred there is in the COPYING file of Claws Mail package, not in other random COPYING files. ¹ http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-howto.en.html _______________________________________________________ Reply to this item at: <http://savannah.gnu.org/task/?13205> _______________________________________________ Mensaje enviado vía/por Savannah http://savannah.gnu.org/
