Re: [Matlab-emacs-discuss] ELPA package

[Eric L. <eri...@gm...>]

Hi Uwe,

John and I didn't get copyright assignments, just approval to contribute 
and distribute using a GPL like license.  I'll look into what it will 
take to also get an assignment.

I am not familiar with copyright law regarding the fact that if I 
re-wrote a lot of the old code means the old contributors no longer hold 
copyright.  If someone sent me a patch, and I did my own implementation, 
that is ok, but in a lot of cases, I would have installed a patch, and 
then later gone back and fixed things up or replaced old code.  I am 
uncertain if the FSF will require some sort of proof of full replacement 
which would be difficult since old change-logs were done before modern 
version control systems were used with this project.

Eric

On 11/29/20 4:15 AM, Uwe Brauer wrote:
> Dear Contributers,
>
> As of today emacs matlab, is (only) a MELPA pkg (besides dwelling in
> sourceforge and in github), but not in ELPA.
>
> The main reason for this decision was that some code was owned by
> mathworks. That however has changes quite some time ago, but I was too
> busy to address its implication.
>
> In order that matlab emacs enters ELPA, there are some necessary
> conditions to satisfy.
>
>      1. All current contributers must sign the relevant papers of the FSF. As far
>         as I can remember, Eric did, John I think too, and I as well.
>         Could you please confirm?
>
>      2. So it would be nice if new contributers signed these papers as well.
>
>      3. Contributions made in ancient times (or some time ago) are a more
>         complicated issue.
>
>
> git shortlog -ns | more
>
> tells me
>
>   Eric Ludlam (zappo)
>    zappo
>    Uwe Brauer
>    davenar
>    John Ciolfi
>    dlebrecht
>
> While hg churn (yes I use hg-git) tells me
>
>
> eric@
> zappo@
> eludlam@
> ciolfi@
> davenar@
> oub@
> oub@
> fritz_da_silva@
>
> But there are others I recall
>
> Matt Wette for example
>
>   04Jan91 by Matt Wette
>      Created.  Used eiffel.el as a guide.
>
>   07Dec96 by Matt Wette
>    incorporated many fixes from Mats Bengtsson
>
>
>
>         These authors might be difficult to find, but as far as I can
>         remember Eric told me that he basically
>
>   EL> Regarding searching for contributors, over the years I replaced a huge amount of the old matlab.el code.
>
>         rewrote every contribution done by these authors.
>
> I have to check this issue with with the FSF or on the emacs dev mailing
> list. Maybe git blame (or hg annotate) would help.
>
>
> I found an very old matlab.el file, in which the changlog file is
> appended. However it is a bit murky since it sometimes not clear whether
> a given author did a feature request/proposal or an actual contribution.
>
> Before bring this subject to the FSF or the emacs dev mailing list:
>
> Would all current (or future) developers willing to sign the
> corresponding FSF papers?
>
> Regards
>
> Uwe
>
>
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