Re: [jgit-dev] Re: [egit-dev] Rewriting JGit history and standard commen

["Shawn O. Pearce" <spearce@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Matthias Sohn <matthias.sohn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 2010/2/10 Alex Blewitt <alex.blewitt@xxxxxxxxx>
> >
> > Is there a template we need to follow for the EDL header, either on the web
> > in an existing project, or by a template which was provided to you?
> 
> Using the commit author information for the copyright is straight forward,
> the tricky part I am not yet sure about is how to honor explicitly
> added copyright statements which do not match the commit author (e.g. author
> could be "Joe Developer <joe@xxxxxxx>" but copyrights
> claimed for his changes could be owned by his company "Joe Inc." but then we
> should not add Joe Developer in the copyright statement).

This table should be small.  There aren't that many contributors
to JGit.  We should be able to build the table by hand for the
early contributions.
 
> EMO provided the template they want us to use for JGit sources :

Ugh.  Yes, they did.  By private email.  Apparently you can't
disclose the preferred project header to the project's mailing list.
Foundation might get in trouble or something.  So contributors have
to ask on the list.  WTF happened to open and transparent?

> ***********
> 
> Copyright (c) {DATE} {INITIAL COPYRIGHT OWNER} {OTHER COPYRIGHT OWNERS}.
> 
> All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials are made
> available under the terms of the Eclipse Development License v1.0 which
> accompanies this distribution, is reproduced below, and available at
> http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/edl-v10.php

WTF.  Why we need this paragraph, I don't know.  The license is
fully attached below it.  We might as well also add to the start
of the file:

  Hi there!  I am a source file from the JGit project.  You can read
  all about how you are allowed to use me in the next paragraph.
  But before you read about how to use me, let me tell you that you
  can read about how to use me in the next paragraph.  Ready?  Great!
  Read On for more information!

Basically I read EMO's header request as "We are insecure about our
position, so we have to justify our existence by making you add a
pointless paragraph to the top of all of your source code files,
just to prove that we can make you do it".  Never having served in
my country's military, I have an issue with that sort of abuse of
authority to justify one's existence.

> Contributors:
> 
> {INITIAL AUTHOR} - initial API and implementation and/or initial
> documentation

IMHO, we can just ignore this section and not include it.  Jetty
doesn't include it in their headers, and they graduated out of
incubation and are making releases.

EGit doesn't include it *anywhere* in its headers, and it got through
the initial contribution review and is fully approved for use.
If EMO cared, they should have required these projects to include
that section in the file headers.

I think we should use the cleaned up header below, as-is.  I'll be
damned if my source files will have lines >150 characters just to
appease a copyright czar.

I also like breaking the EDL apart with the two blank lines, and
making sure the copyright notice for the EDL is related to the
EDL header and not to the source code itself.  We aren't signing
over copyright of JGit to the Eclipse Foundation.

Interesting side note...  The EDL is *exactly* the 3-clause BSD but
with the University of California replaced with Eclipse Foundation.
Under US copyright law changing 3 words into 2 words gives me
the right to declare copyright over the larger contract?  Damn.
I never would have tried to do that, I can't see that as being
a tenable case of fair use, or something you can actually claim
copyright over.  EMO's got some brass ones.

 
/*
 * Copyright (c) {DATE} {INITIAL COPYRIGHT OWNER} {OTHER COPYRIGHT OWNERS}.
 *
 * All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying
 * materials are made available under the terms of the
 * Eclipse Development License v1.0 which accompanies this
 * distribution, is reproduced below, and available at
 * http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/edl-v10.php
 *
 *
 * Eclipse Distribution License - v 1.0
 * Copyright (c) 2007, Eclipse Foundation, Inc. and its licensors.
 *
 * All rights reserved.
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or
 * without modification, are permitted provided that the following
 * conditions are met:
 *
 * - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
 *   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
 *
 * - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
 *   copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following
 *   disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided
 *   with the distribution.
 *
 * - Neither the name of the Eclipse Foundation, Inc. nor the
 *   names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote
 *   products derived from this software without specific prior
 *   written permission.
 *
 * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND
 * CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
 * INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
 * OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
 * ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR
 * CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
 * SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
 * NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
 * LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
 * CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
 * STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
 * ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF
 * ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 */

-- 
Shawn.