From owner-freebsd-ports@freebsd.org  Wed Sep 14 08:49:40 2016
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-ports@freebsd.org>
Delivered-To: freebsd-ports@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org
 [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1])
 by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 04E00BDA5A6
 for <freebsd-ports@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org>;
 Wed, 14 Sep 2016 08:49:40 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from lists@opsec.eu)
Received: from mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (mailman.ysv.freebsd.org
 [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::50:5])
 by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E84766C6
 for <freebsd-ports@freebsd.org>; Wed, 14 Sep 2016 08:49:39 +0000 (UTC)
 (envelope-from lists@opsec.eu)
Received: by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix)
 id E42EABDA5A5; Wed, 14 Sep 2016 08:49:39 +0000 (UTC)
Delivered-To: ports@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org
 [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1])
 by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E3D8EBDA5A4
 for <ports@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org>; Wed, 14 Sep 2016 08:49:39 +0000 (UTC)
 (envelope-from lists@opsec.eu)
Received: from home.opsec.eu (home.opsec.eu [IPv6:2001:14f8:200::1])
 (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits))
 (Client did not present a certificate)
 by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id AC3356C5
 for <ports@freebsd.ORG>; Wed, 14 Sep 2016 08:49:36 +0000 (UTC)
 (envelope-from lists@opsec.eu)
Received: from pi by home.opsec.eu with local (Exim 4.87 (FreeBSD))
 (envelope-from <lists@opsec.eu>)
 id 1bk5st-000IZF-7u; Wed, 14 Sep 2016 10:49:35 +0200
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2016 10:49:35 +0200
From: Kurt Jaeger <lists@opsec.eu>
To: Vitaly Magerya <vmagerya@gmail.com>
Cc: Bob Eager <rde@tavi.co.uk>, ports@freeBSD.org
Subject: Re: LICENSE documentation
Message-ID: <20160914084935.GL85563@home.opsec.eu>
References: <20160914081915.72e9cf14@raksha.tavi.co.uk>
 <9d155596-2137-c385-e557-32431e88c0f8@gmail.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Disposition: inline
In-Reply-To: <9d155596-2137-c385-e557-32431e88c0f8@gmail.com>
X-BeenThere: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.23
Precedence: list
List-Id: Porting software to FreeBSD <freebsd-ports.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/options/freebsd-ports>,
 <mailto:freebsd-ports-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-ports/>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-ports@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-ports-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-ports>,
 <mailto:freebsd-ports-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2016 08:49:40 -0000

Hi!

> On 2016-09-14 10:19, Bob Eager wrote:
> > This port never did have LICENSE, and it had been updated recently with
> > no issues. However, I was told that "I don't see any mention of any
> > kind of license in the package or on the site, so it should be
> > LICENSE=  NONE. Note that without clear licensing terms it's impossible
> > to legally use and redistribute the code."
> 
> My interpretation of this phrase is not that LICENSE variable is
> mandatory (to which I would object on the basis that ports licensing
> framework is vague, incomplete, and apparently used by noone too), but
> rather that for the program to be freely distributable at all, it's
> author(s) need to explicitly give their permission. That permission is
> the license. If no license statement can be found in the sources or the
> website, then no permission is given, and it's technically illegal for
> anyone but the author(s) to use the software.

This interpretation is based on the hypothesis
that the user is located in a country that has this kind of legal rule.

This is not the case in every country, so your conclusion is not
always valid.

-- 
pi@opsec.eu            +49 171 3101372                         4 years to go !