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www/licenses license-list.html


From: Richard M. Stallman
Subject: www/licenses license-list.html
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 20:23:33 +0000

CVSROOT:        /web/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Richard M. Stallman <rms>       14/03/08 20:23:33

Modified files:
        licenses       : license-list.html 

Log message:
        (NoLicense): Explain about US government work in the public domain
        but how limited that is.  Add xref to PublicDomain.
        
        (DOR): Add this nonfree license.

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/licenses/license-list.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.391&r2=1.392

Patches:
Index: license-list.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /web/www/www/licenses/license-list.html,v
retrieving revision 1.391
retrieving revision 1.392
diff -u -b -r1.391 -r1.392
--- license-list.html   28 Jan 2014 17:13:58 -0000      1.391
+++ license-list.html   8 Mar 2014 20:23:33 -0000       1.392
@@ -1555,11 +1555,13 @@
 <p>If source code does not carry a license to give users the
 four essential freedoms, it is not free software.</p>
 
-<p>Some developers think that code with no license is in the public
-domain.  That is not true under today's copyright law; rather, all
-copyrightable works are nonfree by default.  This includes programs.
-In some countries, users that download code with no license may
-infringe copyright merely by compiling it or running it.</p>
+<p>Some developers think that code with no license
+is <a href="#PublicDomain">in the public domain</a>.  That is not true
+under today's copyright law; rather, all copyrightable works are
+copyrighted by default.  This includes programs.  Absent a license to
+grant users freedom, they don't have any.  In some countries, users
+that download code with no license may infringe copyright merely by
+compiling it or running it.</p>
 
 <p>In order for a program to be free, its copyright holders must
 explicitly grant users the <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html"> four
@@ -1567,6 +1569,12 @@
 a <em>free software license</em>.  This is what free software
 licenses are for.</p>
 
+<p>Code written by employees of the US government is a special
+exception, since US copyright law explicitly puts that in the public
+domain; but this does not apply to works that the US pays a company to
+write.  It also does not apply to other countries, many of which do
+allow the state to have a copyright on government writings.</p>
+
 <p>Some countries allow authors to put code in the public domain, but
 that requires explicit action.  If you wish to do that, the method we
 recommend is to use <a href="#CC0">CC0</a>, which also works in other
@@ -1668,6 +1676,16 @@
 additional permission for linking with nonfree programs.</p></dd>
 
 
+<dt><a id="DOR"
+ href="http://dorepository.org/download.html";>
+   CNRI Digital Object Repository License Agreement</a>
+    <span class="anchor-reference-id">
+       (<a href="#DOR">#DOR</a>)</span></dt>
+<dd>
+<p>This license is non-free because of Article 3, which arguably
+includes a requirement not to violate the license of <em>any</em>
+program that the user runs&mdash;even proprietary programs.</p></dd>
+
 <dt><a id="GPL-PA"
  href="http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/License:GPL-PA";>
    GPL for Computer Programs of the Public Administration</a>
@@ -2314,7 +2332,7 @@
 
 <p>Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2014/01/28 17:13:58 $
+$Date: 2014/03/08 20:23:33 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>



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