Re: beamer, pdflatex and auctex

[David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org>]

Dieter Wilhelm <dieter@duenenhof-wilhelm.de> writes:

> David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org> writes:
>
>> Dieter Wilhelm <dieter@duenenhof-wilhelm.de> writes:
>>
>>> David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org> writes:
>>>
>>>> Dieter Wilhelm <dieter@duenenhof-wilhelm.de> writes:
>>>>
> ...
>>>
>>> They mentioned octave-mode as their basis
>>>
>>> ;; Copyright (C) 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
>>> ;; Free Software Foundation, Inc.
>>>
>>> ;; Author: Kurt Hornik <Kurt.Hornik@wu-wien.ac.at>
>>> ;; Author: John Eaton <jwe@bevo.che.wisc.edu>
>>> ;; Maintainer: Kurt Hornik <Kurt.Hornik@wu-wien.ac.at>
>>
>> So they probably used an old version of octave-mode and did not add a
>
> Yes, this is also my idea.
>
>> copyright notice of their own.  But their copyright does not disappear
>> just because they did not add a notice.
>
> I see.
> ....
>>>> But the question is whether it makes a difference to you.  It would
>>>> if you wanted to contribute the code you develop from there back to
>>>> the
>>>
>>> When the code will be accepted, I would be proud to contribute.
>>
>> To what?  octave-mode?  ansys-mode.el as maintained by Tim Read?
>> Depending on who maintains the stuff, and whether he requires an
>> assignment, procedures may differ.
>
> ansys-mod.el is (was) maintained by Tim Read but it seems only in 
>       ^^^^^^
> 1997, I'd guess he isn't maintaining it any longer.
>
> I corrected some code, rewrote the main part of it and extended also
> the functionality of the mode.  So after I tried to contact Tim Read
> in vain I gave it an new name ansys-mode.el.  (A version of it is in
>                                      ^^^^^^^
> the Emacs wiki as well.)
>
>>>> FSF, or if you trust the FSF to behave more reasonably about
>>>> license enforcement than the authors.
>>>
>>> Or it makes a difference when I trust the FSF more about the
>>> enforcement.  Sorry, I do not understand.
>>
>> One thing is having the copyright, another is enforcing it.  If you
>> want it enforced, you might want to see it in the hands of somebody
>> who cares.  If you don't particularly care about enforcement, this
>> might not be so important.
>
> Now I get the idea, thanks.  I like the GPL very much and I like the
> idea of enforcing its conditions.
> ....
>>> Well I twice tried to contact them via email, but I'm not so sure
>>> what you want to tell me with this sentence.  Shall I behave as if
>>> they did not permit to use the code and rewrite every single line?
>>
>> For what purpose?  What do you ultimately want to do with the code?
>
> I'm using the code during working time, of course, and I'd like to
> donate my work to the FSF, if possible and if the code is good
> enough.

Code that is distributed as part as Emacs (and it sounds like this is
the ultimate goal) must be assigned to the FSF.  So since no such
assignment is on file from the authors of the modification, you need
to either find them and have them go through the procedure as well, or
rewrite the functionality starting from octave.el without making use
of copyrightable material from ansys-mod.el.

Yes, it is a nuisance.  I am in the same process for AUCTeX, and even
though we have all the maintainers and the current contributors with
assignments on file, it is still going to take years to get all the
rest in order.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum