> 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.
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