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pencil2d / pencil

Pencil2D is an easy, intuitive tool to make 2D hand-drawn animations. Pencil2D is open source and cross-platform.
http://pencil2d.org
GNU General Public License v2.0
1.45k stars 271 forks source link

Free software directory license auditing #622

Open mangeurdenuage opened 7 years ago

mangeurdenuage commented 7 years ago

--Issue Summary--

Hello I am giving a hand for the Free Software directory (FSD). https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Main_Page And I was doing a collection of software tools that are meant for art purposes.

I stumbled on pencil and was gladly surprise by it so I began to audit it to see if I could add pencil to the directory and into the said collection but unfortunately for now pencil doesn't have the necessary files to be added in the FSD

To be validated in the FSD pencil needs each file to contain a preamble of the license it uses (even scripts and content like image for example (CC-BY-SA 4.0 is compatible with the GPL now) https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/creative-commons-by-sa-4-0-declared-one-way-compatible-with-gnu-gpl-version-3 . For what I have read pencil is under GPLv2 for now. Further more I have also noticed that third parties software/libraries like "zlib" and "quazip" are missing their licenses in their folders.

--Expected Results--

Could someone be kind enough to clarify the situation by adding a preamble of the license for each files and adding missing licenses for third parties libraries, please. If you want an example of how it should look like please see the libreJS source code (or any other gnu software) https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/librejs/librejs-6.0.13.tar.gz

--Why all this boring paperwork instead of coding ?--

Licenses like the GPL are meant to protect the freedom of the users (and developers since they are users too) unfortunately over the years corporation or business have abused licensing via legal loopholes so that tools like pencil can be a tool of injustice instead of being a tools of creation.

The work asked so that software can be protected, is infinitively more beneficial, than letting people use the tools (tools that where initially shared in simplest ways) in a malevolent purpose. Well that's just my opinion.

I would like that Pencil be a part of the FSD. Thanks you for given a bit time for this. I wish you good luck and Happy Hacking

Jose-Moreno commented 7 years ago

@mangeurdenuage Hi. So far, we'd have to see what's the status on each individual license. This might take some time, since most of the volunteers are busy, including myself, and we don't have an stablished "core team" per say.

Hopefully we can bring this to clarity in a timely manner. Thanks for taking interest in the project and for looking to protect those who code it and use it as well.

mangeurdenuage commented 7 years ago

Hello, Thank you for your response. --we'd have to see what's the status on each individual license-- I have seen some files are under the copyright of one of the developers of synfig if I don't mistake. They have been updated to GPLv2+

-This might take some time,- I know and understand, if you need help with clarification about licenses please do ask whenever you want I know there are a lot of misconceptions about licensing.

Here's my PGP ID:0x61ECE33E if you want to contact me via mail.

--Hopefully we can bring this to clarity in a timely manner. -- Glad to hear it. I have updated pencil in the directory and will apply the update when everything will be cleared out. I wish you and all the contributors good luck.

chchwy commented 7 years ago

Hi @mangeurdenuage,

I have added a preamble of the license to every source file. Also added the license of third party libraries to their folders as following

But i'm not sure how to deal with images, if I want to use CC-BY-SA 4.0, put a license declaration in the resource folder, is it enough?

mapreri commented 7 years ago

Well, it's true that you added an header, but that header is not saying the version of the GPL.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
as published by the Free Software Foundation;

TTMOMK previously this project was licensed under the GPL-2 license, so you're going to need to keep it unless you get the other copyright owners of those GPL-2 bits (Patrick Corrieri, Pascal Naidon, Mj Mendoza IV) to agree to move to another license (e.g. GPL-2+).

Also, be aware that the quazip stuff is not licensed in the same ways: there are bits with a permissive, custom license, and some bits with the Zlib license. (you did the right thing adding the LGPL-2, just trying to highlight that quazip is a bit of mess).

Finally, let me say that such update is really welcome from me: as some people know in Debian we are kinda of licenses-freak :) https://sources.debian.net/src/pencil2d/unstable/debian/copyright/

chchwy commented 7 years ago

Alright, now it clearly states the version 2 of GPL.

mangeurdenuage commented 7 years ago

@chchwy --I have added a preamble of the license to every source file.-- --Alright, now it clearly states the version 2 of GPL.-- Thank you for your great work. I am happy that the situation was clarified.

--But i'm not sure how to deal with images, if I want to use CC-BY-SA 4.0, put a license declaration in the resource folder, is it enough?-- Yes it is enough. You simply put a copy of the license in the folder. A text file that contains the name of the images and the license wanted next to it. "name of the images" <-> "license" I'll do a full audit when possible has I am undisposed due to family loss at the moment.

@mapreri --so you're going to need to keep it unless you get the other copyright owners of those GPL-2 bits (Patrick Corrieri, Pascal Naidon, Mj Mendoza IV) to agree to move to another license (e.g. GPL-2+).-- The GPLv2+ is compatible with software under GPLv2 software. It's clearly stated here: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.en.html Please note that GPLv2 is, by itself, not compatible with GPLv3. However, most software released under GPLv2 allows you to use the terms of later versions of the GPL as well. When this is the case, you can use the code under GPLv3 to make the desired combination. And here: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#AllCompatibility An example of this is the linux kernel which is under GPLv2 and a lot of drivers in it are under GPLv2+.

--Also, be aware that the quazip stuff is not licensed in the same ways: there are bits with a permissive, custom license, and some bits with the Zlib license-- If the permissive licenses are permissive like the MIT or BSD it won't be a problem, all permissive licenses are compatible with the GPL. Has for the custom licenses it depends on what's in it. I've looked in the source of quazip and the sub-licenses seems compatible with the GPL (and other). If I am missing some part could you please point it out to me. Zlib is also compatible with the GPL.

-- in Debian we are kinda of licenses-freak -- coughcoughzfscoughcough Of course I'm just teasing ;)

Thank you all for your time. Have a good night and take care.

mapreri commented 7 years ago

@mangeurdenuage

The GPLv2+ is compatible with software under GPLv2 software.

sure, never said otherwise. I just wrote it in advance to make sure nobody (illegally) mistook pencil2d for a GPL-2+ project.

all permissive licenses are compatible with the GPL

Yes, TTBOMK all libraries and stuff pencil2d links to and includes/embeds all have compatibile licenses. At least, as long as none of them decide to relicense them under (L)GPL-3(+)…

scribblemaniac commented 6 years ago

What's the status of this? What still needs to be done? Now that we are using the miniz library, we will also have to include licensing information for that.

Jose-Moreno commented 6 years ago

Also, as I shared on discord there's this site that parse the licenses of github repos and creates a "badge" that displays license compatibility. Pretty handy stuff.

https://fossa.io