Re: [Bug-cssc] Fwd: GNU CSSC 1.3.1 is released

[Joerg Schilling]

James Youngman <address@hidden> wrote:

> Even if that were true, it still doesn't make a copyright assignment
> "forbidden by law".   Since I was simply asking if you would be
> willing to assign the copyright in your change to the CSSC test suite,
> any potential issue of copyright protection wouldn't be relevant
> (since had you agreed, you'd be assigning your copyright to the FSF,
> and so issues of protection of those rights wouldn't really be
> relevant).

10 days ago, we has an internal Copyright and OSS workshop for our lawyers
and developers with Till Jaeger (you should know him as he is the most well 
known lawyer for OSS....). He explained that Copyright assignement is illegal
in general and in special the way it is done by the FSF.

Given the fact, that I explained this problem to the FSF in 1997 already, it is 
strange to see that it still exists.

BTW: Jaeger mentioned that related to European projects, a wish for a Copyright 
assignement is frequently requested by partners from GB and that this is 
usually a result of missing information rather than by an existing real need.


> > If we have been talking abut code written _for_ "CSSC", your wish may be
> > reasonable. The code I did offer, however has been written for "SCCS" and 
> > thus
> > is code that belongs to a different project. If you like to use it in/for 
> > your
> > project, you are still welcome.
>
> Thank you.   I am unable to use (specifically: incorporate) such code
> in CSSC without a copyright assignment.  This is why I asked if you
> would be willing to make such an assignment.

As mentioned, such an assignement is neither needed nor legal. I made you an 
offer and it is up to you whether you make use of it or not.

BTW: you should have a look at: ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/*

There is plenty of software on this server that does not have a Copyright 
assignement and still a lot in that group that has been taken from my projects 
without even ever asking.

Jörg

-- 
 EMail:address@hidden (home) Jörg Schilling D-13353 Berlin
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