Re: CVS commit: pkgsrc/licenses

[Greg Troxel <gdt%lexort.com@localhost>]

"Brook Milligan" <brook%netbsd.org@localhost> writes:

> Module Name:  pkgsrc
> Committed By: brook
> Date:         Tue Aug 13 03:13:12 UTC 2019
>
> Added Files:
>       pkgsrc/licenses: biopython-license

Two things here:

This has a -license suffix, implying it is non-Free (non-Open,
non-DFSG).  But it looks like a Free Software license.  Does Debian
really not allow it?  Does upstream think it is Free?

(As a non-serious aside, perhaps you can file a bug with upstream that
they wrote a new license instead of picking an estabilshed one.  But
seriously, this seems gratuitously different in text.)

> @@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
> +Biopython License Agreement
> +---------------------------
> +
> +Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
> +documentation with or without modifications and for any purpose and
> +without fee is hereby granted, provided that any copyright notices
> +appear in all copies and that both those copyright notices and this
> +permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that the
> +names of the contributors or copyright holders not be used in
> +advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software
> +without specific prior permission.
> +
> +THE CONTRIBUTORS AND COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OF THIS SOFTWARE DISCLAIM ALL
> +WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED
> +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
> +CONTRIBUTORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT
> +OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS
> +OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE
> +OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE
> +OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.

The text is very familiar, and other than the bizarre title calling it
a "license agreement" when it is a bare license, seems very familiar,
basically in the BSD/MIT genre.

Using "wdiff -3" and scanning the smaller outputs shows a remarkable
similarity to isc.  But, it adds a requirement that the copyright notice
be in supporting documentation, not just code, and the 3rd BSD clause.
So probably we have to add the file.

So the question of if it meets the Free/Open/DFSG definitions becomes
important, so that you can rename to just biopython and add to
DEFAULT_ACCEPTABLE.


======================================================================
[-Biopython-]{+ISC+}
======================================================================
 [-Agreement
----------------------------] {+(ISCL)

Copyright (C) <year> <copyright holders>+}
======================================================================
 [-and-] {+and/or+}
======================================================================
 [-and its
documentation with or without modifications and-]
======================================================================
 [-and-] {+with or+}
======================================================================
 [-any copyright notices
appear in all copies and that both those-] {+the above+}
======================================================================
 [-notices-] {+notice+}
======================================================================
 [-supporting documentation, and that the
names of the contributors or copyright holders not be used in
advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software
without specific prior permission.-] {+all copies.+}
======================================================================
 [-CONTRIBUTORS AND COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OF THIS-]
======================================================================
 [-DISCLAIM-] {+IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND ISC DISCLAIMS+}
======================================================================
 [-SOFTWARE,-] {+SOFTWARE+}
======================================================================
 [-FITNESS,-] {+FITNESS.+}
======================================================================
 [-THE
CONTRIBUTORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS-] {+ISC+}
======================================================================
 [-INDIRECT-] {+DIRECT,
INDIRECT,+}
======================================================================