Re: POTFILES.in example copyright in gettext manual

[Bruno Haible]

Karl Berry wrote:
> The po/POTFILES.in node in the gettext 0.15 manual has an example
> starting with:
> 
>      # List of source files containing translatable strings.
>      # Copyright (C) 1995 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
> 
> That copyright message seems insufficient.

Why is this insufficient? It is not a file of its own; it is an example.
Maybe people of GNU and non-GNU projects will take it as their starting
point; maybe everyone will write this file for their package on their
own. Therefore it seems inappropriate to apply GNU project guidelines
to an example that may be used wider than in GNU.

> How about this, following the message used for other tiny sources:
> 
> # Copyright (C) 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
> # 
> # Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification,
> # are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright
> # notice and this notice are preserved.
> #  
> # List of source files containing translatable strings.

This is yet another license, on which people have to start asking their
legal department "is this license compatible to the GPL? to the LGPL?
to BSD?" Why not simply state "This file is distributed under the same
license as the enclosing package"?

> # The last line must not be a comment.
> 
> I don't know if the last sentence is still true, I just have it in my
> files from long ago.  Advice on that appreciated ...

This problem was fixed on 2002-01-18 (gettext-0.11).

Bruno