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List:       kde-core-devel
Subject:    Re: DRAFT document on coding conventions in kde libraries
From:       Nicolas Goutte <nicolasg () snafu ! de>
Date:       2006-03-13 15:46:33
Message-ID: 200603131646.33979.nicolasg () snafu ! de
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On Friday 10 March 2006 18:48, Henry Miller wrote:
> On Friday 10 March 2006 11:01, Allen Winter wrote:
> > Instead of a Name do we allow "the KMail Developers" or "the KAPP team"??
> > My opinion is no, but I see copyright owners like that all over the
> > place.
> >
> > Ideally, the <domain> is kde.org or another KDE sponsored domain.
>
> Is "The KMail Developers", or "the KAPP team" a legally registered entity
> with the purpose (or one responsibility) of collecting copyrights from
> program authors?    If so, then such a name is legal, an may even be
> encouraged.   If not, then such a line should be banned.
>
> If there is such an organization, you need to send legal papers indicating
> that you are assigning copyright, not just place a notice at the start of
> the file.   If someone does not send those legal papers, but places the
> assignment on the file it isn't clear what happens.   (Maybe a lawyer would
> know, but I am not a lawyer)

See, that is why we do not want such stuff. You would need legal work that 
needs to be correctly done.

>
> The free software foundation holds all copyright for GNU software, and they
> are very careful to get everything correct.   I know of no other project
> that holds copyright in a manner strict enough that it could go to court
> alone. Most free software projects have copyrights held by each developer
> for their own parts.   If infringement happens each developer would be
> responsible for going to court separately to collect damages.  (If they
> care, many would not bother)
>
> It would be worthwhile to have some organization (Isn't there already a KDE
> foundation) that can hold copyrights for anyone who doesn't want to
> themselves.   Some companies prefer to do things this way (they may get a
> tax write off for donating code).

Transfering the copyright is not possible under many Western European 
copyright laws, including that German one, which is relevant for KDE, as far 
as I understand articles about copyrights that I have read. (The only 
exception is employer/employee which is not relevant here.)

Have a nice day!

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