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Subject: [bug#39522] When to add a copyright line?
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From: Ludovic =?UTF-8?Q?Court=C3=A8s?= <ludo@gnu.org>
References: <87zhdpvv3x.fsf@nicolasgoaziou.fr>
 <20200209091109.28930-1-brice@waegenei.re>
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Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2020 15:04:06 +0100
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 (GNU bug Tracking System's message of "Tue, 11 Feb 2020 18:27:03
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To: Brice Waegeneire <brice@waegenei.re>, 39522@debbugs.gnu.org, Nicolas Goaziou <mail@nicolasgoaziou.fr>

Hello!

> Brice Waegeneire <brice@waegenei.re> writes:
>
>> I wrote a new patch with your suggestion.
>
> Thank you! I applied it as 81565d23df3080b4d43d2ce0bfa49251827a34e9.
>
>> Sorry for the missing copyright lines in the previous patches you
>> merged, I thought it was non-mandatory on trivial modifications.
>
> I honestly do not know if it is mandatory in this case. However, trivial
> modifications may pile up and it could become a concern at some point.

FWIW, I agree with both of you.  :-)

Technically, a contribution is not considered =E2=80=9Clegally significant=
=E2=80=9D if
it is below 15 lines of code or so (info "(maintain) Legally
Significant").

Furthermore, copyright only applies to things that are =E2=80=9Cinventive=
=E2=80=9D,
which typically means there=E2=80=99s more than one way to do it.  Thus, one
could argue about whether some of our package definitions are
copyrightable at all (in the EU, there=E2=80=99s a =E2=80=9Csui generis=E2=
=80=9D database right
though, so it could fall under that, but IANAL.)

Anyway, long story short: I agree with Nicolas that it=E2=80=99s easier to =
just
always add a copyright line, and it=E2=80=99s better than forgetting to add=
 one.

Ludo=E2=80=99.