Re: Porting library to different programming language (dnsruby vs. Net::Dns)

[Ondřej Surý-3]

[resent]
Hi debian-legal,

I have a interesting situation here (and AlexD which is in Cc: ) may add more.

Alex (who works for Nominet) wrote dnsruby - a port of perl Net::DNS
library to ruby.

Original Net::DNS is licensed under perl license (which is GPLv1+ or Artistic).

dnsruby follows the interface of Net::DNS and f.e. demo/ subdirectory
contains rewritten examples which retains mention of original authors
of perl code.

Now Nominet UK want's this code to be licensed under Apache 2.0 license.

The question is If the Nominet is able to do that. They have asked
Olaf Kolkman and Michael Fuhr, who're active maintainers of Net:DNS,
and they both agree, but there is some code written by Chris
Reinhardt, who is not reachable at his last known email.

Alex can perhaps add more.

Please keep me and Alex in Cc:, thanks.

Ondrej
P.S.: I would very much like to know the answer in general way - I'm
thinking about doing similar thing - rewriting some library to python
with retaining as much interface as possible from original perl
library.
--
Ondřej Surý <ondrej@...>
http://blog.rfc1925.org/


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[Anthony W. Youngman-2]

In message
<3221680d0909110203y79363f89yae016217e9966cd8@...>,
=?UTF-8?B?T25kxZllaiBTdXLDvQ==?= <ondrej@...> writes

>[resent]
>Hi debian-legal,
>
>I have a interesting situation here (and AlexD which is in Cc: ) may add more.
>
>Alex (who works for Nominet) wrote dnsruby - a port of perl Net::DNS
>library to ruby.
>
>Original Net::DNS is licensed under perl license (which is GPLv1+ or Artistic).
>
>dnsruby follows the interface of Net::DNS and f.e. demo/ subdirectory
>contains rewritten examples which retains mention of original authors
>of perl code.
>
>Now Nominet UK want's this code to be licensed under Apache 2.0 license.
>
>The question is If the Nominet is able to do that. They have asked
>Olaf Kolkman and Michael Fuhr, who're active maintainers of Net:DNS,
>and they both agree, but there is some code written by Chris
>Reinhardt, who is not reachable at his last known email.

Question is - to what extent is a port a complete rewrite and to what
extent is it a derivative work.

If it doesn't contain any of the original perl code, and the
similarities are dictated by the need for compatibility, then the
chances are the port contains no copyrights belonging to Net:DNS, and
Nominet can do what they like.

>
>Alex can perhaps add more.
>
>Please keep me and Alex in Cc:, thanks.
>
>Ondrej
>P.S.: I would very much like to know the answer in general way - I'm
>thinking about doing similar thing - rewriting some library to python
>with retaining as much interface as possible from original perl
>library.

A port will strip a large amount of copyright. Think of a translation
of, eg, Harry Potter. The French copyright belongs the frenchman who
translated it. The copyright in the story itself still belongs to JKR.
If you're doing a port the "story" may well be dictated to you by the
need to be compatible, in which case all the original copyright has been
lost, and the port is totally yours.

Cheers,
Wol
--
Anthony W. Youngman - anthony@...


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[Ondřej Surý-3]

> I don't think debian-legal is a good place to seek the answer in a
> general way.  We're very much concerned about particular software and
> its suitability for debian main, rather than a general legal advice
> service for debian developers.  Maybe FSFE's FTF or the SFLC could
> give general advice?

Well, dnsruby sits in NEW...  that's why I am asking.

Ondrej
--
Ondřej Surý <ondrej@...>
http://blog.rfc1925.org/


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