On 14.01.2013 13:06, Marguerite Su wrote:
On Mon, Jan 14, 2013 at 7:37 PM, Stephan Kulow
wrote: There are no officials in openSUSE, the maintainer of the openSUSE package would need to ask steam.
Hi, coolo,
Just for a double-check, because I have many such packages required by my Chinese community users.
1. You words indicated that, openSUSE indeed never _just_ reject packages because it's non-free, but reject packages that is packaged without informing the upstream and getting a distribution permission.
There are two things to seperate here: the openSUSE distribution and the OBS instance of opensuse.org. The openSUSE distribution includes non-OSI software if e.g. the license of it allows distribution without further regulations. This usually means we either have a perfectly clear license or a perfectly clear contract with the vendor of the software. Now the OBS instance of opensuse.org allows only OSI software unless it's in the openSUSE distribution's non-OSI part - which by all practical means locks down further development of it ;)
Note: I didn't talk about potential patent violating packages(ffmpeg, MPlayer and etc), I was talking about non-free packages that want to be distributed with openSUSE but don't know how, which might be commercial (eg: browser plugin for banks or online payment services) or owned by a single person (eg: yong input method, which is an Chinese ime developed and owned by a forum user) or other similar cases.
so if I got permission from parties like Oracle, I can package JDK for openSUSE and distribute it, there's no barriers from our side, is it true?
Good luck negotiating with Oracle, but yes - that's the rule.
2. If that's the case, does it mean that I can _just_ package and submit to Factory Non-free repository directly without noticing anyone, or just noticing our license diggers to give it a pass?
Is there any standard procedure for this? like:
1. Do I have to receive a written permission or oral permission?
It for sure needs to be something that can be verified. But we have tons of cases in our packages, where an email from the author to clarify the license was enough for passing legal review. This won't happen with Oracle, we won't believe emails "From: Larry" to be legit.
2. If it's a written permission, what terms/keywords should it contain? eg: "I, (XXX), the owner of XXX, agree marguerite to distribute my software XXX with openSUSE" or just "I received your email, just go ahead please."
I'm not a lawyer.
3. If the permission is issued to another single person, eg, me, the one who ask, what if I leave the community? should the package get dropped or we just take it as it was? or change a way of asking, can I stand for openSUSE to ask that distribution permission?
You of course need to have an allowance for the whole openSUSE community, otherwise we would put ourselves in your hand and in all respect to you - that won't happen. Greetings, Stephan -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-buildservice+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse-buildservice+owner@opensuse.org