On Sat, Aug 15, 2015 at 2:43 AM, Ralf Gommers <ralf.gommers@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi all,
The Lena image that we ship is a standard image in the image processing literature, however it's also controversial (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenna). That was the reason for: - adding 2 new images in scipy 0.12.0 ( https://github.com/scipy/scipy/pull/351) - recommending to not using Lena in the documentation in scipy 0.16.0 ( https://github.com/scipy/scipy/pull/4785)
Now it looks like Debian was decided that the licensing of this image is NOK and that it needs to be removed from all of Debian. Which hasn't affected Scipy yet but has affected scikit-image (it's "marked for auto-removal"): https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/scikit-image/q36bajdvWew https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/scikit-image/8d15Egg7qAY
I know opinions on the image itself and on Debian's action will vary, but I'd like to be pragmatic here and prevent issues with Scipy packaging in Debian. Therefore I propose to do the same as what scikit-image will do: remove Lena for the next release and raise an error from the scipy.misc.lena() function.
I don't have a problem with removing the image for the reasons given, although I suspect the underlying motivation is not based on legality. The main danger I see is bringing politics into the project, and if this settles that issue, so much the better. Unfortunately compromise, rather than bringing peace in our time, often serves to encourage further incursions. Now may be a good time to think hard about how to keep numpy and scipy focused on technical issues and out of the political mud pits. Once upon a time Playboy was considered progressive by some, mostly on account of its attack on traditional sexual morality. It is funny how that has played out. Chuck