Re: [DOM Java bindings] Can a W3C recommandation be free?
Hi,
On Fri, Nov 05, 1999 at 03:04:44PM +0100, Stephane Bortzmeyer wrote:
>
> I plan to package the W3C's Java bindings for DOM
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-DOM-Level-1/java-language-binding.html>.
> The recent versions of my XT package
> needs it, so either I package it, or "potato" is released without a XSL tool,
> which will be a problem in the XML "market".
>
> I am not sure we can put the Java bindings in "main". The licence
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-DOM-Level-1/copyright-notice.html>
> says "No right to create modifications or derivatives is granted pursuant to
> this license."
> which seems to exclude freedom to modify.
That copyright notice seems to apply only to the DOM specification itself.
Not to the actual Java source files.
Please make sure that you get the latest Java language bindings from the errata
page <http://www.w3.org/DOM/updates/REC-DOM-Level-1-19981001-errata.html>.
That version has the following notice:
The java source files in the archive
http://www.w3.org/DOM/updates/REC-DOM-Level-1-java-binding-19990107.zip
contain the copyright notice appropriate for people to use them in their
products. A few errors in the javadoc part of them have also been fixed.
The java source files in that archive have the following copyright notice:
/*
* Copyright (c) 1998 World Wide Web Consortium, (Massachusetts Institute of
* Technology, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en
* Automatique, Keio University).
* All Rights Reserved. http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/
*/
And <http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/> has more information on the copyright
on W3C documents <http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/copyright-documents.html>.
Which says:
The software or Document Type Definitions (DTDs) associated with W3C
specifications are governed by the Software Notice.
That Software Notice can be found on
<http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/copyright-software.html>
and seems to me to be free according to the Debian Free Software Guidelines.
Please also read their W3C Intellectual Property FAQ which has a special
section on W3C software:
<http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/IPR-FAQ.html#Software>
Hope that helps,
Mark
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