Date: Sat, 12 Oct 1996 23:16:30 +0200 (MET DST) From: J Wunsch <j@uriah.heep.sax.de> To: max@wide.ad.jp (Masafumi NAKANE/=?ISO-2022-JP?B?GyRCQ2Y6LDJtSjgbKEI=?=) Cc: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org, max@wide.ad.jp Subject: Re: [Q] Copyright on patches in the ports Message-ID: <199610122116.XAA10361@uriah.heep.sax.de> In-Reply-To: <199610111049.TAA02981@bourbon.sfc.wide.ad.jp> from =?us-ascii?Q?Masafumi_NAKANE=2F=3D=3FISO=2D2022=2DJP=3FB=3FGy?= =?us-ascii?Q?RCQ2Y6LDJtSjgbKEI=3D=3F=3D?= at "Oct 11, 96 07:49:58 pm"
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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 the code to be patched, you can almost always blindly assume that it won't constitute something that is copyrightable at all. Thus, integrating it into the original package doesn't violate any copyright laws (and is normally also in the interest of the patch author). For patches that either revamp entire subsystems in the patched software, or that create additional files for the FreeBSD port, the matter is certainly different. The authors of the patches would have done good if they already added their own preferable copyright on top of these files. Otherwise, try getting in contact with them first. Just my DM 0,02. -- cheers, J"org joerg_wunsch@uriah.heep.sax.de -- http://www.sax.de/~joerg/ -- NIC: JW11-RIPE Never trust an operating system you don't have sources for. ;-)
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