Re: Corrected message ?
David Starner <dstarner98@aasaa.ofe.org> writes:
> Possibly - possibly not. Other countries (France?) have laws against
> encryption. There are notes in the New Developer's Guide on what to do
> if your country prohibts encryption, possibly even for identification,
> which I assume were added because there was a reason to add them. If we
> went to 100 GB media and included Project Gutenberg books as packages,
> we would be in trouble as several are legal to distribute in America but
> not in Britian, due to copyright laws.
Indeed, but the laws of one jurisdiction don't apply in other jurisdictions.
Just because the French prohibit encryption, doesn't mean that you shouldn't
be able to use it within the US, that would be an absurd position. Similarly
just because some things such as software patents and strong encryption
export are illegal in the US, doesn't mean that people from the Netherlands
or Germany, which have no such restrictions, shouldn't be able to use them
freely.
> > In the majority of countries around the world, many non-US packages are perfectly DFSG free.
> And in some parts of the world, many main packages are restricted.
In reality, it is not many. I again remind you that main is DFSG-free
software, not what may be included on a CD to be exported from the US.
> > You are thinking of this from a very US-centric point of view.
> Pot and kettle.
Not at all, I'm not coming from any hypocritical position here.
> > No, again I point out that main is determined by the DFSG. It cannot take
> > into account the vagaries of local law, it would be impossible to
> > administer.
>
> But what's in main is determined by the vagaries of local law -
> primarily US. Any major restrictions on software in major non-US
> countries should be taken into account the same way.
Wrong. Main is determined by the DFSG, but you are governed additionally
by local laws, wherever you live. And what is this 'major non-US countries'
supposed to mean? There is no reference to this in Debian policy.
I suggest you read the Debian Policy and DFSG to understand just what is
the Debian position on these matters at present.
Martin.
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