Re: [ELPA] New package: smalltalk-mode

[Derek Zhou <derek@shannon-data.com>]

Eli Zaretskii writes:

>> From: Derek Zhou <derek@shannon-data.com>
>> Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2019 22:59:10 +0800
>> 
>> smalltalk-mode is the emacs editing mode for GNU smalltalk. Attached is
>> the version copied verbatim from GNU smalltalk current git HEAD, last
>> commit is:
>> commit 8141da457870e24b0e04684213637b7c4435a2a5
>> Author: Wilfred Hughes <me@wilfred.me.uk>
>> Date:   Wed Nov 29 21:22:34 2017 +0000
>> 
>> GNU smalltalk itself is copyrighted by FSF, so I think it is qualified
>> to be included in the ELPA. If the format need changing please let me
>> know.
>> 
>
> Not sure what this all means from the legal POV.  Lately, Richard
> asked us to make sure people who contribute code to ELPA and have
> copyright assignments for Emacs to say clearly that they contribute
> the code for Emacs, in order for the assignment to be effective.
>
> OTOH, you are saying this is part of GNU Smalltalk, which has separate
> assignments.
>
> On the third hand, I'm not sure who should be the author of the
> commit, should we decide to put this on ELPA.
>
> Richard, can you please advise?
>
> Thanmks.

GNU Smalltalk was maintained by Paolo Bonzini <bonzini@gnu.org> until
around 2012, then he passed the torch to Holger Hans Peter Freyther
<holger@freyther.de>. The smalltalk mode was originally written by Steve
Byrne whose email I cannot find. Various people made changes along the
way, including Paolo. Latest commit to the file was done by Wilfred
Hughes <me@wilfred.me.uk>. I put all 3 people on the CC: list to
comment.

I am not a lawyer, but this code is owned by FSF, just like emacs
itself. I don't see how it can be a legal problem to move changes from
one pocket to the other. All authors already gave up their copyright by
the original assignment. We can ask again and I am pretty sure all
authors will be thrilled to have a broader audience for the free
software they created.

Derek