Re: documentation on copyright headers?

[Felix Lechner via <help-guix@gnu.org>]

Hi Wilko,

On Thu, Nov 16 2023, Wilko Meyer wrote:

> - why a copyright header has to be inserted
> - if a copyright header has to be inserted for all files that are
>   subject to changes (is there a treshold? can it be left out for minor
>   changes to files etc.?) of a sent patch.

For a definitive answer, you should consult an attorney; I have no legal
training.

I believe an important aspect for our collective copyright protection is
that the current year is listed. I always insert my own name, even for
minor edits, when no one else has touched a file in a while.

For an active project like Guix, I personally tend not to add copyright
notices unless I create a new file or unless my contribution appears so
significant that another party would have to expend some effort in order
to recreate it.

Either way, it's better to add copyright notices. In case of doubt,
please add one regardless of what people say.

Kind regards
Felix