Re: [syl20bnr/spacemacs] Proposal to improve GPL compliance (#14444)

[github.com@gnu.support]

* Lucius Hu <notifications@github.com> [2021-03-01 22:33]:

> > So the programs contained in Spacemacs package create modified
> work. Maybe you think with "not modifying Emacs on the fly" that it
> does not modify the OS executable on the fly. Your software is
> written in Emacs Lisp (how I see it) and is modified work of
> original.
> 
> Point to a source file of emacs that is modified.
> 
> > Compiling or not compiling is not essential. It is Emacs Lisp. No need
> to compile
> 
> This is hilarious. Anyone with elementary knowledge of how
> interpreter works knows that the program needs to be compiled.

We speak of the work in copyright terms.

It does not matter how you call it, you can call it framework,
configuration, etc. It does not matter because I have not spoken of
technicalities or classification of type of software.

What matters is that it is new package, new work, new software.

It really does not matter if you modify C sources or you add Emacs
Lisp, you have made the work. It is nice work. It is combination of
various other works and Spacemacs programs.

Thus it is new work in copyright terms.

> > As it directly uses mainstream Emacs to
> provide new Emacs version
> 
> What are you talking about? Where is the new emacs?

Emacs Lisp code is modifying the original Emacs.

Emacs Lisp code in original Emacs is part of Emacs.

Look inside of Emacs Lisp code distributed with Emacs to understand.

> > It is also visibly not the same appearance so that demonstrates
> the modification.
> 
> Following your definition, if you change the wallpaper, colortheme,
> etc of an operating system, you are considered to modify the
> OS. This is just nonsense.

I have not been speaking of the OS and I do not know how is this
relevant, but here are my comments for you.

If user changes a wallpaper, user did not write software and did not
distribute software. It is not relevant to copyright.

If a color theme is changed and it is not software, that is user's
option to change it.

If however a color theme is software and user decides to publish it,
and that software runs with GNU Emacs, then such should be published
with the appropriate license compatible with GNU GPLv3. The copyright
notice must be placed properly in the file of the color theme.

Spacemacs files do not have proper copyright notices, could you please
look into that issue as that is one practical thing you can improve,
it impacts users of Spacemacs and helps them understand the licensing.