On 2014-11-05, Andreas Bombe wrote:
> For the record, the current license (the files in the ghdl source
> aren't currently updated to contain this license header) is:

That license only applies to the VHDL-2008 version of the files.
GHDL also requires an older version to support VHDL-1987 and VHDL-1993.
The new license does not apply to older versions.

Then there are the VITAL packages. The files do not contain copyright
statements, but that does not mean they are free.

> Possibility A) The license does not matter because the spec files
> (again, I assume bodies are not compiled) are not copyrightable due to
> lack of creativity.

No, function bodies are actually compiled and used.
They do lack creativity, though.

> Possibility C) Let's write our own uncreative spec files adhering to
> the standard. A bit of work, but we wouldn't depend on any legal
> interpretation and the compiled simulations are also unquestionably
> distributable.

I think it can be done. The traditional way to do this is in a team:
person A dives into the IEEE files to write natural-language
specifications and test benches, while person B writes a clean VHDL
implementation without ever looking at the IEEE files.

> Possibility D) We may distribute, but the files aren't DFSG free, so
> put the ghdl package in Debian's non-free section.

Still problematic because binary packages contain compiled libraries.
Still problematic for the VHDL-1993 version and VITAL packages.

Joris.

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