From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from mp2 ([2001:41d0:2:4a6f::]) (using TLSv1.3 with cipher TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 (256/256 bits)) by ms0.migadu.com with LMTPS id eCT8DF178mCaPAEAgWs5BA (envelope-from ) for ; Sat, 17 Jul 2021 08:40:29 +0200 Received: from aspmx1.migadu.com ([2001:41d0:2:4a6f::]) (using TLSv1.3 with cipher TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 (256/256 bits)) by mp2 with LMTPS id 0Em/CF178mCodQAAB5/wlQ (envelope-from ) for ; Sat, 17 Jul 2021 06:40:29 +0000 Received: from lists.gnu.org (lists.gnu.org [209.51.188.17]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by aspmx1.migadu.com (Postfix) with ESMTPS id B6C1F1264C for ; Sat, 17 Jul 2021 08:40:28 +0200 (CEST) Received: from localhost ([::1]:36976 helo=lists1p.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1m4dzv-000295-Pv for larch@yhetil.org; Sat, 17 Jul 2021 02:40:27 -0400 Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:470:142:3::10]:39928) by lists.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1m4dzW-00028u-LX for guix-devel@gnu.org; Sat, 17 Jul 2021 02:40:03 -0400 Received: from mailrelay.tugraz.at ([129.27.2.202]:25778) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1m4dzT-0000Zg-49 for guix-devel@gnu.org; Sat, 17 Jul 2021 02:40:02 -0400 Received: from nijino.local (80-121-26-175.adsl.highway.telekom.at [80.121.26.175]) by mailrelay.tugraz.at (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 4GRdkw47pkz3xS8; Sat, 17 Jul 2021 08:39:52 +0200 (CEST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=tugraz.at; s=mailrelay; t=1626503992; bh=tvcoNVX9Ubq6GZA9RHYGW6f/6k+HOyEnZY2DvejXauM=; h=Subject:From:To:Date:In-Reply-To:References; b=O/nUYZ6HT8+C3Gk1ewN0F2SL2eHZuXUxUfF8aOGOtWq+nKwhKYecNne4k4aAZ+soF zS7KBA0ySBqwM3knP2L2q84JEs9e5e27jWqswWxrt0B1NB2G7mT4KA1LM+KKl6sr36 4Lh8i8/BJoenRGVWBIvrn6TfDRH/vPnQJd47/YbE= Message-ID: Subject: Re: cowsay could attract copyright and trademark enforcement action From: Leo Prikler To: Philip McGrath , Bone Baboon , guix-devel@gnu.org Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2021 08:39:51 +0200 In-Reply-To: <6f1db8a2-b3b3-5a54-53e8-f54751f8299d@philipmcgrath.com> References: <87mtqsjl3y.fsf@disroot.org> <87a6mphubk.fsf@disroot.org> <6f1db8a2-b3b3-5a54-53e8-f54751f8299d@philipmcgrath.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" User-Agent: Evolution 3.34.2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-TUG-Backscatter-control: bt4lQm5Tva3SBgCuw0EnZw X-Spam-Scanner: SpamAssassin 3.003001 X-Spam-Score-relay: -1.9 X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.74 on 129.27.10.116 Received-SPF: pass client-ip=129.27.2.202; envelope-from=leo.prikler@student.tugraz.at; helo=mailrelay.tugraz.at X-Spam_score_int: -42 X-Spam_score: -4.3 X-Spam_bar: ---- X-Spam_report: (-4.3 / 5.0 requ) BAYES_00=-1.9, DKIM_SIGNED=0.1, DKIM_VALID=-0.1, DKIM_VALID_EF=-0.1, RCVD_IN_DNSWL_MED=-2.3, RCVD_IN_MSPIKE_H3=0.001, RCVD_IN_MSPIKE_WL=0.001, SPF_HELO_NONE=0.001, SPF_PASS=-0.001 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no X-Spam_action: no action X-BeenThere: guix-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.23 Precedence: list List-Id: "Development of GNU Guix and the GNU System distribution." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: guix-devel-bounces+larch=yhetil.org@gnu.org Sender: "Guix-devel" X-Migadu-Flow: FLOW_IN ARC-Message-Signature: i=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=yhetil.org; s=key1; t=1626504028; h=from:from:sender:sender:reply-to:subject:subject:date:date: message-id:message-id:to:to:cc:mime-version:mime-version: content-type:content-type: content-transfer-encoding:content-transfer-encoding: in-reply-to:in-reply-to:references:references:list-id:list-help: list-unsubscribe:list-subscribe:list-post:dkim-signature; bh=tvcoNVX9Ubq6GZA9RHYGW6f/6k+HOyEnZY2DvejXauM=; b=Zq9LUA/9mpTfhNaews59e13q5v70q5bbPI5FvNY/zbThhN9FEkNIAJtg+fH89K0cOPIgoD y0QeiacYojuv6WlgOEDafOP81HohbjQPI9VFEU9hGmjozYfJnRSDJiMHC1eSIGnrXuc/Kq DdPSvf/+TufH+GhxXYKMdt1g6EdK3aqC8dO+9IG95SfmtcVMLr+HIQCnk49k0Q/idngvWK Nf3qW7d2UB0avarUtBlBqY8NYVPTJsou63qQ/CA4f0iY0RrnXxIoDmhV3jtsWDqmde5HPE 9KFpb8JvrJE+xn6qF+IjXk0fkCoI4pE9Bp606Lp4rqPw1X/sGswwVNI9RuIvlw== ARC-Seal: i=1; s=key1; d=yhetil.org; t=1626504028; a=rsa-sha256; cv=none; b=Fm9YuM0bGt0CqinbMGbbeimWi0nsySHHV1cgniEzyVgxn5MwKeQCiBI9QZBnDmIe4XAAyE XWBmqqaRGtGibXsqr6BAJGW1D2l87NFzLFKgJv0jfqI7LkdUcVSv+EgwHVG4/ATdnTh0bD 5BF1MjlhQsbmR9iWhyPz/c16gPthSLNwRfcunCdOq5q6DsdnpehVURtMZEY1nFer04IhdK osNY/35auTP9kfr+X0sHiCeJCWN3NrMSzcjvW5IWUcjnTYZYAjSNPTINMsNVZTxENtsNIP NrlZ2kNnQicLP1sHsxCejk02AG+UxbYPmEmugcGZuED7f1rDbPkptZ35+nT2xQ== ARC-Authentication-Results: i=1; aspmx1.migadu.com; dkim=pass header.d=tugraz.at header.s=mailrelay header.b="O/nUYZ6H"; dmarc=pass (policy=none) header.from=student.tugraz.at; spf=pass (aspmx1.migadu.com: domain of guix-devel-bounces@gnu.org designates 209.51.188.17 as permitted sender) smtp.mailfrom=guix-devel-bounces@gnu.org X-Migadu-Spam-Score: -3.11 Authentication-Results: aspmx1.migadu.com; dkim=pass header.d=tugraz.at header.s=mailrelay header.b="O/nUYZ6H"; dmarc=pass (policy=none) header.from=student.tugraz.at; spf=pass (aspmx1.migadu.com: domain of guix-devel-bounces@gnu.org designates 209.51.188.17 as permitted sender) smtp.mailfrom=guix-devel-bounces@gnu.org X-Migadu-Queue-Id: B6C1F1264C X-Spam-Score: -3.11 X-Migadu-Scanner: scn0.migadu.com X-TUID: Ltu7kCcF2XLZ Fair points and well argued. Am Samstag, den 17.07.2021, 01:46 -0400 schrieb Philip McGrath: > On 7/16/21 6:26 PM, Leo Prikler wrote:> As others point out, it is > debatable whether or not such a trademark > > can be enforced, but what we should be discussing -- and I'd be > > more > > than happy to be wrong on this -- is whether or not the cowfiles > > can be > > distributed under GPL-compatible terms/in accordance with the FSDG. > These files seem to me to be non-functional data, analogous to game > graphics, which the FSDG do not require to have free/libre licenses. > Just as firmware is still code, even if it is represented as an array > of > numbers, I think ASCII art templates are data, even if they are > embedded > in Perl fragments. > > (In the Lisp tradition, I think the distinction between code and data > is > a fuzzy one, but this case seems fairly clear to me.) > > On the broader issues, I also am not a lawyer, but I would expect all > of > these files to be protected by the rights of fair use, fair dealing, > and > other limitations or exceptions to copyright. Limitations and > exceptions > seem to trademark law also seem to apply. > > Fair use and analogous rights are vitally important protections of > freedom, including software freedom. For example, in the recent case > of > Google v. Oracle, fair use was the legal right which protected the > freedom of the Java APIs. (The decision also left open the > possibility > that APIs may not be copyrightable at all.) > > Apparently these files are over 20 years old and have been widely > distributed without objections. If Guix were to remove these files, > we > would implicitly be disagreeing with the apparent community > consensus > and saying that users do not have the freedom to create, use, or > share > such cowfiles. That's not a position I think Guix ought to take, > especially not against the apparent consensus of the broader free > software community. > > -Philip