Bug 1334294 - gnuplot and Questionable licensed files
Summary: gnuplot and Questionable licensed files
Keywords:
Status: CLOSED NOTABUG
Alias: None
Product: Fedora
Classification: Fedora
Component: gnuplot
Version: rawhide
Hardware: Unspecified
OS: Unspecified
unspecified
unspecified
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Frantisek Kluknavsky
QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks: FE-Legal
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2016-05-09 10:53 UTC by mejiko
Modified: 2016-05-16 20:42 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Doc Type: Bug Fix
Doc Text:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed: 2016-05-16 20:42:30 UTC
Type: Bug
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)


Links
System ID Private Priority Status Summary Last Updated
GNU Savannah 42916 0 None None None 2016-05-09 10:53:32 UTC

Description mejiko 2016-05-09 10:53:33 UTC
Hello.

Gnuplot included unclear/unknown licensed code.


#File List Start:

A) "gnuplot-5.0.1/src/color.*"

B) "gnuplot-5.0.1/src/bf_test.c"

This file (B) copyright infomation is: 

"Copyright (c) 1992 Robert K. Cunningham, MIT Lincoln Laboratory"

#File List End:


Why ?

A) "Open Source" is not license.

B) No license infomation. but This author is listed GNUPlot Contributor. See: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_5.0/gnuplot.pdf


This problem already reported. (Gnewsense).

I suggest that resolve license problem.
Thanks.


Reference:

https://savannah.nongnu.org/bugs/?42916

Comment 1 Tom "spot" Callaway 2016-05-16 20:42:02 UTC
It is highly likely that Petr Mikulik, as a listed "substantial contributor" to gnuplot (http://www.gnuplot.info/faq/faq.html) considers his code in gnuplot to be under the gnuplot license, despite the poor attribution in color.c. The same is true for Robert Cunningham.

Given that these files are distributed in a tarball with a license that applies to the entire work (gnuplot license) with these contributors being openly recognized for almost 20 years, I think it is safe to treat these files as being under the terms of the gnuplot license.


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