GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 301076
incorrect copyright notice in newsprint plugin
Last modified: 2008-01-15 12:52:30 UTC
License for parts of newsprint plugin is GPL incompatible and maybe does not allow to distribute it as part of the GIMP. * % NOTICE: This code is copyrighted by Adobe Systems Incorporated, and * % may not be reproduced for sale except by permission of Adobe Systems * % Incorporated. Adobe Systems Incorporated grants permission to use * % this code for the development of screen sets for use with Adobe * % Accurate Screens software, as long as the copyright notice remains * % intact.
Have you also looked at the code in question? static gdouble spot_PSsquare (gdouble x, gdouble y) { gdouble ax = ABS (x); gdouble ay = ABS (y); return ((ax + ay) > 1 ? ((ay - 1) * (ay - 1) + (ax - 1) * (ax - 1)) - 1 : 1 - (ay * ay + ax * ax)); } static gdouble spot_PSdiamond (gdouble x, gdouble y) { gdouble ax = ABS (x); gdouble ay = ABS (y); return ((ax + ay) <= 0.75 ? 1 - (ax * ax + ay * ay) : ((ax + ay) <= 1.23 ? 1 - ((ay * 0.76) + ax) : ((ay - 1) * (ay - 1) + (ax - 1) * (ax - 1)) -1)); } It it ridiculous to try to cover these lines with any copyright whatsoever. It is commonly accepted that a few lines of code, especially if they just represent a simple algorithm, cannot be copyrighted. If it helps you, I can show you written word from Richard Stallmann that backs up this point of view. Closing as NOTABUG.
However, the Adobe copyright notice is in the code - and as it reads now, it is GPL incompatible indeed. The wording "this code ... may not be reproduced for sale" is stamped right there, in the code that comes with the GIMP, not on a letter some Adobe lawyer sent the GIMP developers. If it is as you say the Adobe copyright notice should be taken down then. Possibly instead of the full copyright note a notice just like one that would be used in quoting an academic work could be placed there. I am not reoppening the bug, since I believe the better thing to do is to modify the Adobe related comments. But it should be done. (Btw beware, now it lies under the all seeing eye of Adobe-Macromedia(tm) systems inc.)
Joao, did you seriously believe we would do nothing about this?
This should be the final nail in the coffin: 2005-04-18 Raphaël Quinet <raphael@gimp.org> * plug-ins/common/newsprint.c: Added comment to clarify the copyright notice (bug #301076).
The real final nail: 2005-04-18 Manish Singh <yosh@gimp.org> * plug-ins/common/newsprint.c: Redo comment for spot_PSsquare and spot_PSdiamonds, since the code was not a derived work in the copyright sense. It is a C implementation of the same algorithm.