Licensing of the python plugins

ManuelSchneid3r commented 6 months ago

EDIT: This approach is legally not solid. Therefore see #1349 where its about getting explicit agreements for the shipped plugins. However a general agreement is still useful for the case when we resurrect plugins from the archive.

Dear contributors @benedictdudel @dshoreman @tyilo @tomsquest @BarrensZeppelin @DenverCoder1 @iyzana @googol42 @mqus @devhammed @netsgnut @djmbritt @Bierchermuesli @proItheus @cyprienruffino @Keating950 @mparati31 @nerf @cit @shenxn @dsager @bergercookie @sinnytk @z4yx @tim3z @edjoperez @greizgh @matthewbogner @fionera @g-walsh @nikhilw @Pete-Hamlin @faheel @ismasou @poettig @tendstofortytwo @okaestne @vmaerten @DavidDeadly @ovitor @gaganpreet @er-azh @stevenxxiu @maxmil

Albert has several modules, contibutions and unfortunately a messy licensing state. There are several problems:

There are tons of commits that were not licensed at all (copyright, which is not allowed to be shipped ootb).
There is explicitly copyleft licensed code (which enforces anything touched to be copyleft)
There are tons of commits with unclear licensing (as long as one does not browses the git history at that point).
There are probably lots of copyright infringement cases in this repository due to relicensing.

We need to relicense or get rid of any copyright only (unlicensed) and copyleft code, otherwise shipping Albert is not legal.

Thats why I want to ask you all without having to address each case, wheter your code was not licensed, relicensed, or copyleft licensed: are you fine with your code being relicensed to MIT?

Agreements:

[ ] @BarrensZeppelin
[x] @Bierchermuesli
[ ] @DavidDeadly
[x] @DenverCoder1
[x] @Keating950
[x] @Pete-Hamlin
[ ] @benedictdudel
[x] @bergercookie
[x] @cit
[x] @cyprienruffino
[x] @devhammed
[x] @djmbritt
[x] @dsager
[x] @dshoreman
[ ] @edjoperez
[x] @er-azh
[ ] @faheel
[x] @fionera
[x] @g-walsh
[ ] @gaganpreet
[x] @googol42
[ ] @greizgh
[x] @ismasou
[x] @iyzana
[x] @matthewbogner
[ ] @maxmil
[ ] @mparati31
[ ] @mqus
[ ] @nerf
[x] @netsgnut
[x] @nikhilw
[x] @okaestne
[x] @ovitor
[ ] @poettig
[x] @proItheus
[ ] @shenxn
[x] @sinnytk
[x] @stevenxxiu
[x] @tendstofortytwo
[x] @tim3z
[x] @tomsquest
[ ] @tyilo
[ ] @vmaerten
[x] @z4yx

tyilo commented 6 months ago

If nobody complains, these plugins go with MIT then:

That would be illegal to do. You have to remove them if you don't get explicit approval from everyone who worked on that plugin.

tendstofortytwo commented 6 months ago

I give you approval to use and provide the one change I made under whatever license is convenient for the project. The fix was a convenience for me and I am personally okay with deferring to the license of the upstream software for my contributions.

I do agree with the above commenter that you should get explicit approval from the tagged folks who have made substantial contributions, or otherwise figure out licensing with them on equal terms rather than just imposing it upon them.

ManuelSchneid3r commented 6 months ago

That would be illegal to do. You have to remove them if you don't get explicit approval from everyone who worked on that plugin.

Thats probably correct. If it even were only these. We have a history of unlicensed contributions. Shipping Albert was illegal ever since. It's a ton of work. Any ideas?

ismasou commented 6 months ago

I also approve any license you want on my minuscule contribution.

okaestne commented 6 months ago

I approve any license change for my one-line change 😀

Keating950 commented 6 months ago

I'm happy for my change to be used under any non-proprietary licence. I don't even remember what it was 😄

fionera commented 6 months ago

I approve any license change, even tho I cannot remember to be a contributor 😄

matthewbogner commented 6 months ago

I am the original author of my 5 character change to the jetbrains python plugin and approve any licensing changes that will suit the desires of this project.

ManuelSchneid3r commented 6 months ago

Okay this is probably not going to work out and is not that straight forward I opened #1349 which tries to target the commits that are actually to be shipped. Sorry for the noise and thank you for your attention .

dshoreman commented 6 months ago

Most of the contributions I actually sent PRs for was rewriting/fixing the yt and window switcher plugins, both now archived. Not sure what the plan is with archived plugins (since they're not on the new list) but if they get revived then I'm fine with whatever.

...unless there's some secret masterplan where those will suddenly start making millions next week :wink:

ManuelSchneid3r commented 6 months ago

...unless there's some secret masterplan where those will suddenly start making millions next week 😉

The plan is to get them shipped for free without being sued. So... probably not 😅

Not sure what the plan is with archived plugins…

There has never been a plan. Plugins need maintainers. I cant maintain all of them.

Bierchermuesli commented 6 months ago

I approve! thank you for your work!

cit commented 6 months ago

I approve any license you want for my contributions.

Thank you for your effort maintaining albert!

proItheus commented 6 months ago

I approve any license (as long as it's not a proprietary one) you want for my contributions.

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I approve any license you want for my contributions.

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