Re: [boost] Copyright-less licence references

Subject: Re: [boost] Copyright-less licence references
From: Bo Persson (bop_at_[hidden])
Date: 2015-09-15 13:32:49

On 2015-09-15 18:34, Gennadiy Rozental wrote:
> Paul A. Bristow <pbristow <at> hetp.u-net.com> writes:
>
>>
>> Sorry but it ain't broke, so let's not fix it.
>
> Sorry, but it is. The copyright information you type in your source code
> starting to lie practically immediately you commit the code. It does not
> hold the water in any format proceedings, lying to reader, and annoying to
> maintain to author. It does not says what specifically one has a copyright
> to and is wrong practically everywhere in boost. What does these lines
> indicate:
>
> //   Copyright (c) Marshall Clow 2008-2012.
>
> or these
>
> //  Copyright (c) 2002 Peter Dimov and Multi Media Ltd.
> //  Copyright (c) 2008 Peter Dimov
>
> or these
>
> // Copyright Christopher Kormanyos 2002 - 2013.
> // Copyright 2011 -2013 John Maddock.
>
> or these
>
> //  Copyright Beman Dawes, 2002-2005
> //  Copyright Vladimir Prus, 2002
>
>
> These says nothing about who has the copyright to what, when it is
> expires, what happen after last year mentioned, does all source in the
> file was originated in first year mentioned and so on.

It does actually affect the expiry date.

The date of first publication is important in some places, like the US, 
where the copyright laws were changed several times during the 1900's.

If published after 1978, the copyright is valid for the author's 
lifetime + 70 years. Earlier it was a certain number of years.

Therefore it is important to claim that the copyright period started 
after 1978. The exact year is not important (unless the laws are changed 
again. Who knows?)

The names of the authors are just a service to you, when you have to 
check if they have all been dead for 70+ years. Unlikely for software 
right now, but important for music and books.

Bo Persson