[themes] Tango iconset: Default for drupal, is NOT GPL.

[grohk]

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Laura Scott wrote:
> I'm wondering if we're not trying to apply mileage standards to
> bicycles. As far as I know, the GPL is about software, not about images.

Actually, the GPL can be applied to any work [1]:

"Can I use the GPL for something other than software?

You can apply the GPL to any kind of work, as long as it is clear what
constitutes the "source code" for the work. The GPL defines this as the
preferred form of the work for making changes in it."

My personal definition of "source code" in images would be an editable
versions of the work.  But that is just my interpretation.

Although, the FSF itself recommends the Free Art License [2] for
creative works, there is no barrier I know of for using the GPL for
image files.

>> The licenses for most software are designed to take away your freedom
>> to share and change it. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is
>> intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free
>> software--to make sure the software is free for all its users. This
>> General Public License applies to most of the Free Software
>> Foundation's software and to any other program whose authors commit to
>> using it. (Some other Free Software Foundation software is covered by
>> the GNU Lesser General Public License instead.) You can apply it to
>> your programs, too.

This is the preamble to the GPL, and is more of a manifesto than a
binding clause.

> I may be wrong, but don't believe you can GPL an image any more than you
> can copyright a lawn. We're talking about different kinds of licensing,
> different kinds of works. An image isn't software. The image format
> could be considered software, so we could require that images not be in
> any proprietary format, such as PSD or ia. But that doesn't get to the
> creative property aspects.

Restrictions, property and copyrights are the problem.  Applying the GPL
to the files distributed in the Drupal package ensures that the Freedom
of developers and users alike is protected.

> I humbly suggest focusing on the goal, and not on the means. GPL itself
> is not manna. Its values are what we seek, no?

Yes, I agree.  But careful examination of the aspects of the CC
attribution license reveal my concern...Every attribution for every file
and theme *might* be an obligation that becomes a burden and I think
that if we are to accept alternative licenses into the repository we
need to ensure the freedom of the project by drafting something like the
Debian Free Software Guidelines [3].  It is worth noting that the
Debian-Legal mailing list does not consider CC 2.0 licenses to be DFSG
compliant [4].

> The closest thing I can find is the Creative Commons Share Alike
> license. However, I cannot seem to find it anywhere on their website.
> All of their pre-configured licenses for images require attribution,
> which defeats the stated goals here. But Share Alike (with the
> arrow-circle icon) seems to capture exactly what we're after:
> 
>> Share Alike. You allow others to distribute derivative works only
>> under a license identical to the license that governs your work.
> 
> http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses

I found it here: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/sa/1.0/

It is worth noting that, as far as I can tell, all 2.0 and greater CC
licenses require attribution which can be expressly waived by the author.

> The other approach would be to require a Public Domain Dedication of the
> image elements. http://creativecommons.org/license/publicdomain-2  (I
> note that CC states this might not be enforceable outside of the US.)

This is a lot to think about, and this won't be the last time this comes
up...But I still think the GNU GPL offers the best overall coverage in
terms of flexibility and freedom.

[1] http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLOtherThanSoftware
[2] http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en/
[3] http://www.debian.org/social_contract
[4] http://people.debian.org/~evan/ccsummary
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