Bug#212523: 'diff' contains non-free GNU FDL material (fwd)

[Santiago Vila]

Hello.

I have received the following report from the debian bug tracking system.
[ Please keep the Cc: lines when replying. Thanks ].

The license from diffutils manual says:

  Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
  under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
  any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
  Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
  and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.

So, suppose that I want to write a free Unix-like operating system.
Suppose that I call it UNG (UNG's not GNU) and I want to use a
modified version of GNU diffutils, and a modified version of its manual.

[ I think we agree that I should be able to do that, because otherwise
  they would not be free ].

The license for GNU diffutils manual says I can only modify it if the
Front-Cover says ``A GNU Manual,'' but since the program and its
documentation should match, it should not say that anymore, since it
would not be GNU diffutils anymore (it would be UNG diffutils).

It could be that I don't understand the GNU FDL, but I think there is
a real problem here.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nathanael Nerode <address@hidden>
To: address@hidden
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 01:49:52 -0400
Subject: Bug#212523: 'diff' contains non-free GNU FDL material

Package: diff
Severity: serious
Version: 2.8.1-2
Justification: non-free material in main (required base, in fact)

The 'diff' manual (diff.info.gz) included in the 'diff' package is
licensed under the GNU FDL with Front-Cover and Back-Cover Texts.
Debian-legal has determined that this license as currently written
is non-free (and the FSF has shown no interest in altering it).
The manual must be removed from 'main'.  It can be put into a diff-doc
package in non-free, if you like.

-- 
Nathanael Nerode  <neroden at gcc.gnu.org>
http://home.twcny.rr.com/nerode/neroden/fdl.html