GPL and missing licenses in xf86-input-keyboard? (was Re: [ANNOUNCE] xf86-input-keyboard1.2.2)

Thu Sep 6 05:25:32 PDT 2007

(I know this was brought up before but I never saw it resolved.)

On Wed, 5 Sep 2007, Eric Anholt wrote:

> Eric Anholt (2):
>       Bug #9748: Include GPL license by Rik Faith for some lnx_kbd.c contents.
>       Bump version to 1.2.2 for release.

I don't see the license.

git show 3b87c8e164a5a4e79900b70e38e09c85bc99ce25

does not show it. It just mentions it.

It is not in the COPYING file -- which is just a stub.

What specific code is it?

How can we be sure we don't accidently reuse that licensed code?

I see that src/sco_kbd.c says "Based on lnx_kbd.c which is Copyright (c) 
2002 by The XFree86 Project, Inc."

git log here doesn't seem to have history to tell me if the src/sco_kbd.c 
was changed to use the GPL'd code.

So on LINUX, the entire xf86-input-keyboard becomes GPL'd?

My main concern is accidental re-use of the GPL'd code on a project that 
can't use GPL. (I don't know what parts of lnx_kbd.c are GPL'd.)

Has anyone asked the copyright owner of that code if it can be re-used 
under the original license?

I don't even see all the original licenses. As it is now, this 
xf86-input-keyboard download tarball doesn't even have any indication that 
ALL the code can be used, modified or redistributed.

I see some of the code is derived from other projects. So I found 
licensing like the following -- which should be added to COPYING file:

/*
 * Copyright 1990,91 by Thomas Roell, Dinkelscherben, Germany.
 *
 * Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software and its
 * documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that
 * the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that
 * copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting
 * documentation, and that the name of Thomas Roell not be used in
 * advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software without
 * specific, written prior permission.  Thomas Roell makes no representations
 * about the suitability of this software for any purpose.  It is provided
 * "as is" without express or implied warranty.
 *
 * THOMAS ROELL DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE,
 * INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, IN NO
 * EVENT SHALL THOMAS ROELL BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR
 * CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE,
 * DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER
 * TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR
 * PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 *
 */
/*
 * Copyright (c) 1992-2003 by The XFree86 Project, Inc.
 *
 * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
 * copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
 * to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation
 * the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
 * and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
 * Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
 *
 * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
 * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
 *
 * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
 * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.  IN NO EVENT SHALL
 * THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER(S) OR AUTHOR(S) BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR
 * OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE,
 * ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR
 * OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 *
 * Except as contained in this notice, the name of the copyright holder(s)
 * and author(s) shall not be used in advertising or otherwise to promote
 * the sale, use or other dealings in this Software without prior written
 * authorization from the copyright holder(s) and author(s).
 */

/*
 * Copyright 1992 by Rich Murphey <Rich at Rice.edu>
 * Copyright 1993 by David Dawes <dawes at xfree86.org>
 *
 * Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software and its
 * documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that
 * the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that
 * copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting
 * documentation, and that the names of Rich Murphey and David Dawes 
 * not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of 
 * the software without specific, written prior permission.  Rich Murphey and
 * David Dawes make no representations about the suitability of this 
 * software for any purpose.  It is provided "as is" without express or 
 * implied warranty.
 *
 * RICH MURPHEY AND DAVID DAWES DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO 
 * THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND 
 * FITNESS, IN NO EVENT SHALL RICH MURPHEY OR DAVID DAWES BE LIABLE FOR 
 * ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER 
 * RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF 
 * CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN 
 * CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 *
 */

/*
 * Loosely based on code bearing the following copyright:
 *
 *   Copyright 1990,91 by Thomas Roell, Dinkelscherben, Germany.
 */

/*
 * Copyright 1992-2003 by The XFree86 Project, Inc.
 * Copyright 1997 by Metro Link, Inc.
 *
 * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
 * copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
 * to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation
 * the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
 * and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
 * Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
 *
 * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
 * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
 *
 * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
 * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.  IN NO EVENT SHALL
 * THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER(S) OR AUTHOR(S) BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR
 * OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE,
 * ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR
 * OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 *
 * Except as contained in this notice, the name of the copyright holder(s)
 * and author(s) shall not be used in advertising or otherwise to promote
 * the sale, use or other dealings in this Software without prior written
 * authorization from the copyright holder(s) and author(s).
 */

  Jeremy C. Reed