matplotlib-devel

[matplotlib-devel] Updating copyright model in license

[Michael D. <md...@st...>]

As many of you are well aware, John Hunter has been the sole copyright 
holder on matplotlib from the beginning.  I'm sorry it's taken nearly a 
year to do this (as can often happen in sad situations like this), but I 
think we do need to address it going forward.

I have a PR for this change in #2195.

Heavily influenced by the IPython licensing, I propose to move us to a 
shared copyright model, where authors retain copyright on their 
individual contributions, but the code base as a whole belongs to the 
entire community of contributors. This does not actually change the 
license from the BSD one that we have had all along, so should have no 
impact on its usability in or with other projects.  I feel pretty 
strongly that this is the right direction, as it reflects that 
matplotlib was and is a community project.  (And just to be clear, this 
is in no way an attempt to reduce John's credit for the amazing work 
that he began).

I hope this will be noncontroversial, but I'm always wary of starting 
legal discussions on a mailing list.

Mike

Re: [matplotlib-devel] Updating copyright model in license

[Fernando P. <fpe...@gm...>]

On Tue, Jul 2, 2013 at 12:31 PM, Michael Droettboom <md...@st...> wrote:
> As many of you are well aware, John Hunter has been the sole copyright
> holder on matplotlib from the beginning.  I'm sorry it's taken nearly a year
> to do this (as can often happen in sad situations like this), but I think we
> do need to address it going forward.
>
> I have a PR for this change in #2195.
>
> Heavily influenced by the IPython licensing, I propose to move us to a
> shared copyright model, where authors retain copyright on their individual
> contributions, but the code base as a whole belongs to the entire community
> of contributors. This does not actually change the license from the BSD one
> that we have had all along, so should have no impact on its usability in or
> with other projects.  I feel pretty strongly that this is the right
> direction, as it reflects that matplotlib was and is a community project.
> (And just to be clear, this is in no way an attempt to reduce John's credit
> for the amazing work that he began).

+1

Not that I have any right to speak for him, but I suspect/imagine that
he would have been totally on board with this plan, and I wouldn't be
surprised if the fact that it hadn't happened before wasn't simply an
oversight.

Very happy to see you take this step, I think it's the right approach.

Cheers,

f

Re: [matplotlib-devel] Updating copyright model in license

[Nathaniel S. <nj...@po...>]

On Tue, Jul 2, 2013 at 8:31 PM, Michael Droettboom <md...@st...> wrote:
> As many of you are well aware, John Hunter has been the sole copyright
> holder on matplotlib from the beginning.  I'm sorry it's taken nearly a year
> to do this (as can often happen in sad situations like this), but I think we
> do need to address it going forward.
>
> I have a PR for this change in #2195.
>
> Heavily influenced by the IPython licensing, I propose to move us to a
> shared copyright model, where authors retain copyright on their individual
> contributions, but the code base as a whole belongs to the entire community
> of contributors.

Purely as a legal matter, I believe that what you mean is, you're
suggesting updating the documentation in the source files to more
accurately reflect the current model? Unless everyone's been signing
written documents transferring their copyright (which is the only
effective way to transfer copyright in the US and AFAIK most other
jurisdictions), then right now matplotlib's copyright is owned by the
community of contributors, and has been so long as there have been
contributors.

-n

Re: [matplotlib-devel] Updating copyright model in license

[Michael D. <md...@st...>]

On 07/02/2013 07:51 PM, Nathaniel Smith wrote:
> On Tue, Jul 2, 2013 at 8:31 PM, Michael Droettboom <md...@st...> wrote:
>> As many of you are well aware, John Hunter has been the sole copyright
>> holder on matplotlib from the beginning.  I'm sorry it's taken nearly a year
>> to do this (as can often happen in sad situations like this), but I think we
>> do need to address it going forward.
>>
>> I have a PR for this change in #2195.
>>
>> Heavily influenced by the IPython licensing, I propose to move us to a
>> shared copyright model, where authors retain copyright on their individual
>> contributions, but the code base as a whole belongs to the entire community
>> of contributors.
> Purely as a legal matter, I believe that what you mean is, you're
> suggesting updating the documentation in the source files to more
> accurately reflect the current model? Unless everyone's been signing
> written documents transferring their copyright (which is the only
> effective way to transfer copyright in the US and AFAIK most other
> jurisdictions), then right now matplotlib's copyright is owned by the
> community of contributors, and has been so long as there have been
> contributors.
>
IANAL, but I assumed as much.  The real problem I'm trying to resolve is 
that the explicitly specified copyright (whether it applies or not) is 
still John Hunter.

IPython changed from explicitly listing individuals in their copyright 
line to referring to the IPython community fairly recently, and 
obviously under different circumstances.  Fernando -- was there a 
particular impetus for that or model you were following?

Mike