Here is an excerpt of the first reply I received from Daniel re: MusiXTeX's license almost two years ago. I forgot to mention that this was before DFSG came out, and hence the move from contrib to non-free.
Thanks. ----- Forwarded message from Daniel TAUPIN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ----- Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 16:28:18 -0700 From: Daniel TAUPIN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01 (Win95; I; 16bit) To: Anthony Fok <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: MusiXTeX T.75 on Debian GNU/Linux Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Anthony Fok wrote: [...] > So, before I released the package, I had to decide whether to put it in > "main", "contrib" or "non-free". Since I am a new Debian developer, I > asked for advice on the [email protected] list. The > following is one of the replies that I received. Put it in "contrib". > > > Date: Sat, 12 Jul 97 11:53 PDT > > From: Bruce Perens <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: [email protected], Anthony Fok <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > From: Anthony Fok <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Gee, I'm afraid this is a sloppy license. > > First of all, they state in the first line that one of the authors doesn't > > agree with the license. Ugh. Who knows what legal complications that could > > introduce. They should cut that out right away. I am the main author, and I state it is freeware. If the other author say anything, let him kill me. Anyway, he has released his own version, names OpusTeX. I did not try it... > > > > Then they say you can't sell it except for maint., support, and duplication > > costs, when most CD manufacturers also have _profit_ in the equation. Not > > a lot of profit, and certainly not profit solely from MusiXTeX, but these > > people want to make a buck from being in the CD business. Exact: MusiXTeX if freeware, you can give it, not sell it. But if included in another package you sell, no problem. But the cos with and withour MusiXTeX must be the same! > > > MusiXTeX may be included in further commercial packages, provided that > > > no > > > fee is charged for MusiXTeX itself. > > -- > > Bruce Perens K6BP [EMAIL PROTECTED] 510-215-3502 > > Finger [EMAIL PROTECTED] for PGP public key. > > PGP fingerprint = 88 6A 15 D0 65 D4 A3 A6 1F 89 6A 76 95 24 87 B3 > > [For your information, Bruce Perens is the current Debian Project Leader. > <smile> Also, [email protected] is the Debian developers' > list. Anyone is free to join, even if you don't use Linux! :) ] > > I assumed that paragraph on the bottom of page 2 to be MusiXTeX's > current copyright licence. I apologize if I am mistaken. :) Exact: that's the license, a compulsory freeware license. > > I think it would be really great if MusiXTeX could be put into Debian's > "main" distribution so that MusiXTeX may be freely distributed on CD-ROMs > so more people can benefit from this wondeful music typesetting software. > :) Some CD vendors like CheapBytes (www.cheapbytes.com) and LSL (Linux > System Lab???) are selling the Debian 1.3.1 Official 2CD-Set for less than > US $4.00. ^_^ But of course, some vendors charge more than that. :) > (I got my Debian through FTP alone, so I haven't tried the CDs yet. :) Do it. > > So, may I ask you a big favour? When you have time, could you please > check the attached Debian Policy Manual (in section 2 I think). Also, > could you please check out the attached Artistic License to see if you > would like to adopt it for MusiXTeX? The Artistic License is used by > Perl's author Larry Wall for Perl, patch, etc. > > Of course, MusiXTeX is *your* package, so you are free to choose the > licence you like. The Artistic License is just a suggestion. :) > Also, do the MusiX fonts follow the same licence as MusiXTeX? > > I understand that you, Ross Mitchell and Andreas Egler are the original > authors of MusiXTeX. Andreas then left the common work and continued with > his version of MusiXTeX, now known as OpusTeX, which has a more restricted > copyright licence than your MusiXTeX. While there were some disagreement > and misunderstanding in the past, do Ross and Andreas agree with > the copyright licence of (your) MusiXTeX now? Thanks for the > clarification. :) Both are mute! [... Long section of technical questions re: teTeX & MusiXTeX removed ...] > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > Debian Policy Manual > -------------------- > Ian Jackson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Christian Schwarz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > revised: David A. Morris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > version 2.2.0.0, 13 July 1997 > > 2.1.5. Further copyright considerations > --------------------------------------- > I have seen the debian policy. No special remark. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel Taupin, Physique des Solides, Univ. Paris-Sud, 91405 ORSAY E-mail : mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] T幨: (33) 1.69.15.60.79, Fax: (33) 1.69.15.60.86 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- End forwarded message -----
