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Date: Wed, 16 Oct 1996 22:11:51 -0700 (PDT)
Message-Id: <199610170511.WAA03153@silvia.HIP.Berkeley.EDU>
To: joerg_wunsch@uriah.heep.sax.de
CC: max@wide.ad.jp, freebsd-ports@freebsd.org, max@wide.ad.jp
In-reply-to: <199610122116.XAA10361@uriah.heep.sax.de> (message from J Wunsch on Sat, 12 Oct 1996 23:16:30 +0200 (MET DST))
Subject: Re: [Q] Copyright on patches in the ports
From: asami@freebsd.org (Satoshi Asami)
Sender: owner-ports@freebsd.org
X-Loop: FreeBSD.org
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 * From: J Wunsch <j@uriah.heep.sax.de>

 * As Masafumi NAKANE/=?ISO-2022-JP?B?GyRCQ2Y6LDJtSjgbKEI=?= wrote:
 * 
 * > Recently, I've received several queries about patches in the FreeBSD
 * > ports collection.  All the queries are to ask if it's ok to integrate
 * > the patches into the original archive, or into some other localization
 * > patch.
 * 
 * > Can we consider the patches as they are in public domain?
 * 
 * I think `this depends'.  If the patch is fairly minor compared with

They aren't in the public domain unless they specifically say so, but
by contributing the patches to the FreeBSD project, I think we can
assume that

(1) the patches are freely redistributable, and

(2) the patches can be sold for profit (e.g., the CDROM)

Otherwise the whole project will crumble to earth. :>

The second is a little hairy, as they may not have intended to assign
the rights to resell the patches in any form other than the official
FreeBSD CD-ROM.  So you may have to be careful if that's what you are
thinking.

But as long as the question is whether they can be redistributed
freely or not, I don't think there is any doubt about that.

Satoshi