Re: How to free US governmental code
On Mon, Jun 29, 2015 at 06:07:52PM -0400, James Cloos wrote: > > "WL" == Walter Landry writes: > > WL> I found something here > > WL> ftp://ftp.cs.berkeley.edu/pub/4bsd/README.Impt.License.Change > > WL> I do not think it applies in this case. > > WL> Cheers, > WL> Walter Landry > > Thanks for finding that. That is certainly limited to BSD. > > -JimC > -- > James Cloos OpenPGP: 0x997A9F17ED7DAEA6 > US Government code authored by US Govt. employees is one of the few things that remains public domain _in the US_ Here, you have code written by contractors for the US government. Is there a contact for LANL anywhere ? - if you ask LANL themselves, they may be able to establish who owns the code now and how to free it up appropriately. They will have access to corporate policies / lawyers etc. for their situation and can get permission to give permission. All the best, AndyC > > -- > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-legal-requ...@lists.debian.org > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org > Archive: https://lists.debian.org/m3egku88xz@carbon.jhcloos.org -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-legal-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: https://lists.debian.org/20150630131511.ga2...@galactic.demon.co.uk
Re: How to free US governmental code
> "WL" == Walter Landry writes: WL> I found something here WL> ftp://ftp.cs.berkeley.edu/pub/4bsd/README.Impt.License.Change WL> I do not think it applies in this case. WL> Cheers, WL> Walter Landry Thanks for finding that. That is certainly limited to BSD. -JimC -- James Cloos OpenPGP: 0x997A9F17ED7DAEA6 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-legal-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: https://lists.debian.org/m3egku88xz@carbon.jhcloos.org
Re: How to free US governmental code
James Cloos wrote: >> "OS" == Ole Streicher writes: > > OS> In one of the packages I am currently working on (idlastro [1]), some > OS> files have the following license [2]: > > OS> | Copyright 1992, The Regents of the University of California. ... > > Since the copyright is The Regents of the University of California, one > wonders whether the their relicensing statement, where they dropped the > 4th clause retoactively, covers this, too. > > I can't find the instance of that statement which I saved, nor via goog, > so I cannot be sure whether it limited the relicensing to software which > was released under the original BSD license, or coverred all software > copyrighted by the Regents. I found something here ftp://ftp.cs.berkeley.edu/pub/4bsd/README.Impt.License.Change I do not think it applies in this case. Cheers, Walter Landry -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-legal-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: https://lists.debian.org/20150629.110515.1437842410455001293.wlan...@caltech.edu
Re: How to free US governmental code
> "OS" == Ole Streicher writes: OS> In one of the packages I am currently working on (idlastro [1]), some OS> files have the following license [2]: OS> | Copyright 1992, The Regents of the University of California. ... Since the copyright is The Regents of the University of California, one wonders whether the their relicensing statement, where they dropped the 4th clause retoactively, covers this, too. I can't find the instance of that statement which I saved, nor via goog, so I cannot be sure whether it limited the relicensing to software which was released under the original BSD license, or coverred all software copyrighted by the Regents. -JimC -- James Cloos OpenPGP: 0x997A9F17ED7DAEA6 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-legal-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: https://lists.debian.org/m3pp4e8koy@carbon.jhcloos.org
Re: How to free US governmental code
Walter Landry writes: > Ole Streicher wrote: >> | Copyright 1992, The Regents of the University of California. This >> | software was produced under U.S. Government contract (W-7405-ENG-36) >> | by Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is operated by the University >> | of California for the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government >> | is licensed to use, reproduce, and distribute this software. Neither >> | the Government nor the University makes any warranty, express or >> | implied, or assumes any liability or responsibility for the use of >> | this software. >> What are the experiences with this kind of copyright: are there any >> chances to make it free? > > Looking around the ftp site > http://idlastro.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp/ > there is a top level file "LICENSE" dated 2014 that looks like a > simple BSD license for Wayne Landsman. As far as I understand the history of idlastro, Wayne collected parts of the lib from other sources, and I am afraid that he did not really take care of the individual license of each file he touched and included. Otherwise he probably would have changed the license statement to BSD. > Since Wayne is also listed as a contributor to eqpole_grid.pro, he > should be sympathetic to relicensing. A Google search for "Wayne > Landsman Astronomy" turns up a likely contact at GSFC. You should ask > Wayne directly. He would then contact the legal department at UC, > though that would involve some work on his end. I asked him, and I also found the (probable) original author and contacted him. > Also, are you planning on distributing > http://idlastro.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp/pro/misc/blkshift.pro > That and a few other files have a non-commercial use license. Yes, but they look much less formal -- One author made already parts of his software free (mpfit: under a non-standard ISC-alike license), and the other already responded that he will help me to get his sources free. The license above was just the one where I didn't know what to do best. Best regards Ole -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-legal-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: https://lists.debian.org/ytz7fqmk3dl@news.ole.ath.cx
Re: How to free US governmental code
Ole Streicher wrote: > Hi, > > In one of the packages I am currently working on (idlastro [1]), some > files have the following license [2]: > > | Copyright 1992, The Regents of the University of California. This > | software was produced under U.S. Government contract (W-7405-ENG-36) > | by Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is operated by the University > | of California for the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government > | is licensed to use, reproduce, and distribute this software. Neither > | the Government nor the University makes any warranty, express or > | implied, or assumes any liability or responsibility for the use of > | this software. > > Surely, this makes the code non-free. However, I have no idea whom to > ask to change to license to something DFGS-compatible. > > What are the experiences with this kind of copyright: are there any > chances to make it free? Looking around the ftp site http://idlastro.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp/ there is a top level file "LICENSE" dated 2014 that looks like a simple BSD license for Wayne Landsman. Since Wayne is also listed as a contributor to eqpole_grid.pro, he should be sympathetic to relicensing. A Google search for "Wayne Landsman Astronomy" turns up a likely contact at GSFC. You should ask Wayne directly. He would then contact the legal department at UC, though that would involve some work on his end. Also, are you planning on distributing http://idlastro.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp/pro/misc/blkshift.pro That and a few other files have a non-commercial use license. Cheers, Walter Landry -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-legal-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: https://lists.debian.org/20150629.070201.414466700400025959.wlan...@caltech.edu
Re: How to free US governmental code
> In one of the packages I am currently working on (idlastro [1]), some > files have the following license [2]: > > | Copyright 1992, The Regents of the University of California. This > | software was produced under U.S. Government contract (W-7405-ENG-36) > | by Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is operated by the University > | of California for the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government > | is licensed to use, reproduce, and distribute this software. Neither > | the Government nor the University makes any warranty, express or > | implied, or assumes any liability or responsibility for the use of > | this software. > > Surely, this makes the code non-free. However, I have no idea whom to > ask to change to license to something DFGS-compatible. I'm inclined to agree with you. Works that the U.S. Government contracts for are sadly not public domain. > What are the experiences with this kind of copyright: are there any > chances to make it free? You'd have to contact The Regents of the University of California, since they own the copyright. Or, perhaps, you might have more luck asking the program's author, who can ask the University on your behalf. pgpcNsKzlSkEf.pgp Description: PGP signature
