Return-Path: <tiff-bounces@lists.maptools.org>
X-Original-To: info@awaresystems.be
Delivered-To: info@awaresystems.be
Received: from mx-k.b-one.net (mx-k.one.com [91.198.169.58])
	by mail9.b-one.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id F286240011B
	for <info@awaresystems.be>; Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:52:28 +0100 (CET)
X-Virus-Scanned: by one.com
X-Spam-Score: 0
X-Spam-Level: 
X-Spam-Status: No, score=0 tagged_above=0 required=6 tests=[none]
X-Greylist: from auto-whitelisted by SQLgrey-1.7.4
Received: from lists.maptools.org (lists.maptools.org [65.39.174.144])
	by mx-k.b-one.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5A1C2C22296
	for <info@awaresystems.be>; Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:52:28 +0100 (CET)
Received: from localhost.localdomain (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1])
	by lists.maptools.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9AFCA1CEDFB03;
	Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:55:18 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from scooby.simplesystems.org (scooby.simplesystems.org
	[65.66.246.67])
	by lists.maptools.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 260061CFEFB02
	for <tiff@lists.maptools.org>; Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:55:17 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from freddy.simplesystems.org (freddy.simplesystems.org
	[65.66.246.65])
	by scooby.simplesystems.org (8.12.10+Sun/8.12.10) with ESMTP id
	mBDLq8JE027685; Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:52:08 -0600 (CST)
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:52:08 -0600 (CST)
From: Bob Friesenhahn <bfriesen@simple.dallas.tx.us>
X-X-Sender: bfriesen@freddy.simplesystems.org
To: Gene Amtower <gene@pc-backup.com>
In-Reply-To: <1229195572.3939.176.camel@PCB-Bench-01>
Message-ID: <Pine.SOC.4.64.0812131542180.1462@freddy.simplesystems.org>
References: <200811011810.55556.bradh@frogmouth.net>
	<200811151033.04528.bradh@frogmouth.net>
	<491F6BCD.1060208@pobox.com> <200812132130.22626.bradh@frogmouth.net> 
	<Pine.SOC.4.64.0812131030200.1462@freddy.simplesystems.org>
	<1229195572.3939.176.camel@PCB-Bench-01>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Cc: Tiff List <tiff@lists.maptools.org>
Subject: Re: [Tiff] example of (standalone) TIFFRegisterCODEC
X-BeenThere: tiff@lists.maptools.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.9
Precedence: list
List-Id: TIFF and libtiff discussion <tiff.lists.maptools.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.maptools.org/mailman/listinfo/tiff>,
	<mailto:tiff-request@lists.maptools.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.maptools.org/mailman/private/tiff>
List-Post: <mailto:tiff@lists.maptools.org>
List-Help: <mailto:tiff-request@lists.maptools.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.maptools.org/mailman/listinfo/tiff>,
	<mailto:tiff-request@lists.maptools.org?subject=subscribe>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Sender: tiff-bounces@lists.maptools.org
Errors-To: tiff-bounces@lists.maptools.org

On Sat, 13 Dec 2008, Gene Amtower wrote:

> You comment is important, as the first paragraph suggests that these
> copyright notices SHOULD be included in all libtiff code.  It's not
> explicit about when it applies and when it does not.

They should be included if the source module contains source code 
written by Sam Leffler or Silicon Graphics.  Otherwise the libtiff 
project should come up with a name for itself for copyright purposes, 
or use the names of all the individuals who contributed substantial 
code to that module.  Using the names of many individuals obviously 
causes problems.

> perpetuating it throughout the library and utilities.  If I copy code
> from one part of the library into another section, and then perform a
> modification, does this copyright notice apply or not?  I don't think
> the lines of code themselves provide any clues about what Sam
> contributed and what he did not.

Copyright applies to any copying.  If the source code is completely 
rewritten then there might not be any copied source code remaining.

> I guess that's part of the problem with these types of license comments
> within open-source code because they live on forever in the code until
> somebody with the right insight knows it's time to remove them.

I agree that it is a problem.  The correct situation is that the 
copyright notices are responsibly maintained thoughout the development 
process.  This is clearly not the case for the past 10 years.
The poor copyright documentation puts commerical users into a 
quandary.  They need a clear definition of who wrote the code and the 
usage license.

Bob
======================================
Bob Friesenhahn
bfriesen@simple.dallas.tx.us, http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen/
GraphicsMagick Maintainer,    http://www.GraphicsMagick.org/

_______________________________________________
Tiff mailing list: Tiff@lists.maptools.org
http://lists.maptools.org/mailman/listinfo/tiff
http://www.remotesensing.org/libtiff/
