Re: copyright holder for PKGSRC/pkgtools/bootstrap-mk-files/files

[Aleksey Cheusov <vle%gmx.net@localhost>]

> Without licence, the copyright law describes what you can do with a
> computer program (or any other piece of art).  That's essentially
> nothing but the ability to look at it in most countries (and of course
> doesn't allow distribution, because you can't copy it).
If I cannot copy mk-files, then nobody can distribute NetBSD because
/usr/src/share/mk also has no any license text. Right?  In this sense
"no license" makes software more restricted than most open source
licenses including GPL. Is NetBSD and pkgsrc still "free software"?
Being paranoid I see a problem here.

> Now, trying to be pragmatic, it'd be safe to assume those files are
> covered by a variant of the BSD licence, but you'll have to ask all the
> significant authors you can find (using CVS history).  The same goes as
> to who to give copyright to.  Hopefully the list will be small enough.

It whould be very nice if somebody of NetBSD developers explicitly mark
this code as BSD licensed. In this case others (including me) will have
rights distribute this code without problems.

P.S.
Simon Gerraty licensed his work like the following

   (#) Copyright (c) 2004, Simon J. Gerraty This file is provided in the
   hope that it will be of use.  There is absolutely NO WARRANTY.
   Permission to copy, redistribute or otherwise use this file is hereby
   granted provided that the above copyright notice and this notice are
   left intact.  Please send copies of changes and bug-fixes to:
   sjg%crufty.net@localhost

but his mk-files were based on NetBSD mk-files having no any license.

-- 
Best regards, Aleksey Cheusov.