[Python-Dev] Copyright notices in modules

[Guido van Rossum]

On Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 11:01 PM, Terry Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> wrote:
> Guido van Rossum wrote:
>>
>> 2009/1/20 Raymond Hettinger <python at rcn.com>:
>>>
>>> I'm at a loss of why the notice needs to be there at all.
>>
>> There's a difference between contributing a whole file and
>> contributing a patch. Patches do not require copyright notices. Whole
>> files do. This is not affected by later edits to the file.
>
> In my comment, I postulated the situation where the patch consisted of
> merging in another, independently copyrighted, 'whole file'.  Perhaps this
> has mostly been a non-existent situation and therefor moot.
>
> One real situation I was thinking of, unconnected to Google as far as I am
> aware, is the case of two third-party IP6 modules and the suggestion that
> they be merged into one stdlib module.  If that were accomplished by
> committing one and merging the other in a patch, it would be unfair (and
> untrue) to have just one copyright notice.  Of course, in this case, I hope
> the two authors work everything out between themselves first before any
> submission.

There's nothing top stop you from having multiple copyrights in one
file, when that represents the rights of the original authors fairly.

> I completely understand about strongly preferring programming to lawyer
> consultation ;-).

-- 
--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)