On 08/16/2013 10:23 PM, Karl Berry wrote:
ineiev> I wonder whether it is really crucial for files like > README, AUTHORS, THANKS, ABOUT-NLS to carry copyright notices.They are files like any others that will need to be modified as time goes by. I personally see no reason why they should be an exception to needing a license, presuming they are long enough to meet the "dozen or so lines" criterion.
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So if you think there is a case for such ancillary files to not require a license notice in principle, I suggest writing to rms or perhaps [email protected] and see if they agree. Or you can make the case to me first if you want :).
I see no actual reasons; I just checked the files in the GNU package I maintain (and it wasn't me who wrote those files originally, it were more knowledgeable people) and noticed that README and THANKS lack copyright notices; then I unpacked a GCC distribution tarball and found no copyright notices in AUTHORS and ABOUT-NLS. probably it's a bug.
