[Tango-artists] relicensing tango-icon-theme

[Simon Pascal Klein]

On 12/07/2008, at 10:15 PM, Rodney Dawes wrote:

> Finally I am replying to this. Comments below. :)
>
> On Tue, 2008-07-08 at 13:38 +0200, Jakub Steiner wrote:
>> [...]
> [...]
>
>> Let's resurrect and scavenge the good that's left in tango icon  
>> theme!
>
> And now on to my proposal. I think the best way to go about this is  
> not
> to make tango-icon-theme Public Domain, but to create a new repository
> which houses the Public Domain elements which make up the icons we  
> offer
> in tango-icon-theme. This new module could be tango-icon-assets or
> something similar, and would contain just the assets in SVG form (in  
> the
> one-canvas workflow style), such as "paper sheet" and "error emblem".
> Everything in this module would be Public Domain, and there would be  
> no
> need for any build system work at all, as it is purely a repository of
> building blocks for creating full icons.
>
>> From there, we can make tango-icon-theme into an LGPL icon theme,  
>> made
> up of the public domain assets. This module would provide a clearer
> licensing scheme, for developers to be confident about using our  
> icons.
> This would also provide a nice method of allowing contributors to  
> submit
> icons based off the tango assets for inclusion, but who do not wish to
> relinquish copyright in doing so. There icons could be LGPL, yet the
> parts that comprise them, could be Public Domain, save for minor
> differences.
>
> We could also pull over some of the Public Domain assets into other
> icons and themes, such as OpenOffice.org and gnome-icon-theme, without
> issue. The paper sheet for example would be a great place to start
> doing that.
>
> Also, I would much prefer using SVN to git, for the repository server.
> I don't think git necessarily fits with our goals, as there's no need
> for anyone to be maintaining an external repository, and then  
> suggesting
> we pull changes from there. Submitting assets and icons via the  
> mailing
> list and bugzilla are sufficient for our needs, I believe.
>
> I think this would satisfy everything we've been trying to do with
> Tango, but have yet been unable to do, or have done in a very limited
> way, because of the licensing. And I believe this fits in very well
> with Novell's approval to release these assets to the Public Domain.
> This would give us the repository of assets that several have been
> asking for (lots of people have been wanting a "library" of icons),
> let us have a clearly licensed theme, and have our assets be public
> domain, so that anyone can use them and create new icons with them.
> We could also migrate to the one-canvas workflow, and your new
> TangoNG icons, in this "new" theme, and make everyone happy.
>
> What do you think?
>
> -- Rodney


I really like this idea, as this would give both developers, artists  
and external persons access to a beautiful pool of icon elements and  
we would get the chance to make Tango even better with TangoNG under  
LGL or similar. That way external persons would be more likely to  
select a full icon set (e.g. Tango or even GNOME-icon-theme) and be  
required to link back. If they desire they can build their own icons  
from the ones in the public domain pool.

How does this sound to everyone else?

Btw, I’d also vote for SVN.


—Pascal


---
Simon Pascal Klein
Concept designer

(w) http://klepas.org
(e) klepas at klepas.org