[Pkg-dns-devel] dnsviz_0.5.3-1_amd64.changes REJECTED

[Robert Edmonds]

Thorsten Alteholz wrote:
> Hi Robert,
> 
> unfortunately I have to reject your package. According to the metainformation
> inside these files, the licese is some kind of creative commons:
> dnsviz-0.5.3/doc/src/error.svg:    <cc:license rdf:resource="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/"/>
> dnsviz-0.5.3/doc/src/error.svg:   <cc:License rdf:about="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/">
> dnsviz-0.5.3/doc/src/warning.svg:        <cc:license
> dnsviz-0.5.3/doc/src/warning.svg:           rdf:resource="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/" />
> dnsviz-0.5.3/doc/src/warning.svg:      <cc:License
> dnsviz-0.5.3/doc/src/warning.svg:         rdf:about="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/">
> 
> This does not really match your pubnlic-domain entry in debian/copyright. 
> Can you please clarify with upstream?

Hi, Thorsten:

The entries in d/copyright do match, TTBOMK, the licensing status of
these files. If you visit the URLs cited in the copyright file:

    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ambox_warning_pn.svg

    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ambox_warning_yellow.svg

These appear to be the original download locations for these files,
where licensing statements have been entered by the author, which are
prominently displayed on the page:

    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ambox_warning_pn.svg

    Licensing:

        I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the
        public domain. This applies worldwide.

        In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so:

        I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose,
        without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by
        law.

    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ambox_warning_yellow.svg

    Licensing:

        This work has been released into the public domain by its
        author, penubag. This applies worldwide.

        In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so:

        penubag grants anyone the right to use this work for any
        purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are
        required by law.

I've copied those statements from the download locations and the date I
retrieved them into the d/copyright file for posterity.

In the second one at least, the author has taken the affirmative step of
inserting his or her name into the license grant, which would seem like
a strong indication that this is his or her intended license.

Can you explain why you think the metadata in the SVG files are
operative? Sure, I see that they exist in the file. But they're not
accompanied by a human readable statement that the file is covered by
that license, so are they really actual, operative license grants?

If the ftpmaster team thinks that the licensing situation for these
files is too unclear for the Debian archive, please let me know and I'll
be happy to get in touch with the upstream developer of DNSViz. Do you
have any suggestions for freely licensed replacements?

Thanks!

-- 
Robert Edmonds
edmonds at debian.org