From owner-freebsd-ports@FreeBSD.ORG  Mon May 26 15:32:17 2003
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-ports@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DCCF737B401
	for <freebsd-ports@freebsd.org>; Mon, 26 May 2003 15:32:17 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from mail.inka.de (quechua.inka.de [193.197.184.2])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AA97E43F3F
	for <freebsd-ports@freebsd.org>; Mon, 26 May 2003 15:32:16 -0700 (PDT)
	(envelope-from mailnull@mips.inka.de)
Received: from kemoauc.mips.inka.de (uucp@)
	by mail.inka.de with gbsmtp 
	id 19KQVr-0007Ws-00; Tue, 27 May 2003 00:32:15 +0200
Received: from kemoauc.mips.inka.de (localhost [127.0.0.1])
	by kemoauc.mips.inka.de (8.12.9/8.12.6) with ESMTP id h4QLtdrH012893
	for <freebsd-ports@freebsd.org>;
	Mon, 26 May 2003 23:55:39 +0200 (CEST)
	(envelope-from mailnull@localhost.mips.inka.de)
Received: (from mailnull@localhost)
	by kemoauc.mips.inka.de (8.12.9/8.12.9/Submit) id h4QLtdR4012892
	for freebsd-ports@freebsd.org; Mon, 26 May 2003 23:55:39 +0200 (CEST)
From: naddy@mips.inka.de (Christian Weisgerber)
Date: Mon, 26 May 2003 21:55:38 +0000 (UTC)
Message-ID: <bau2gq$cij$1@kemoauc.mips.inka.de>
References: <baqrft$1uud$1@kemoauc.mips.inka.de>
	<3ED152AF.1000404@i4free.co.nz>
Originator: naddy@mips.inka.de (Christian Weisgerber)
To: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: License issues (e.g. mod_throttle, mod_watch)
X-BeenThere: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
List-Id: Porting software to FreeBSD <freebsd-ports.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-ports>,
	<mailto:freebsd-ports-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-ports>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-ports@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-ports-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-ports>,
	<mailto:freebsd-ports-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 26 May 2003 22:32:18 -0000

Andrew Turner <zombie@i4free.co.nz> wrote:

> Would adding LICENSE= to port Makefiles help?

Speaking from OpenBSD experience, no.  They originally tried this,
but when you look at thousands of ports, you will find numerous
cases of homegrown licenses that cannot be neatly summerized in one
line.

OpenBSD introduced variables PERMIT_{DISTFILES,PACKAGE}_{CDROM,FTP},
that are roughly equivalent to (if a bit more fine-grained than)
our NO_PACKAGE/NO_CDROM/RESTRICTED.  Porters need to scrutinize the
included licenses and set the respective variables.

One particularly annoying case that is probably as common as
explicitly restrictive licensing is the complete lack of any license.
Alas, this means that basic copyright law forbids any redistribution,
use, etc, even if this was not in the author's intent.

-- 
Christian "naddy" Weisgerber                          naddy@mips.inka.de