Fwd: Guidelines on copyright notice maintenance

Subject: Fwd: Guidelines on copyright notice maintenance
From: Mateusz Loskot (mateusz_at_[hidden])
Date: 2018-07-04 08:03:41

Hi,

You may have noticed this post already, below and linked
https://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2018/07/242390.php

I've requested to finally clarify how to maintain copyright notices in
source files.
Despite variety of opinions [1], the BSL requirements hence the copyright
notice guidelines seem to be clear and it is quite easy to break those [2].

Once the guidelines are confirmed, I'd like to suggest we follow them.
The reason is not just plain alignment to Boost guidelines.
I think it's quite equally important to
- give credits due
- list authors of significant contributions
- display current maintainers - this one may help to clear the image
of Boost.GIL being dead!

Boost.Geometry, for example, copyright notices are updated on regular
basis, following non-trivial changes, and the front page of documentation
lists original authors and contributors. IMO, it is the right thing to do.

[1] https://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2015/09/225605.php
[2] https://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2015/09/225561.php

Best regards,
Mateusz

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mateusz Loskot <mateusz_at_[hidden]>
Date: 4 July 2018 at 01:26
Subject: Guidelines on copyright notice maintenance
To: boost_at_[hidden]

Hi,

The license guidelines [1] include instructions on
"How should Boost programmers apply the license to source and header files?"

Unless I've missed it, there seem to be lack of guidelines about
how to maintain (existing) copyright notices.

I don't aim to resurrect the old lengthy thread from Sept 2015 on
validity of copyright notices. In that thread, however,
some guidelines or conventions were expressed:

[2] "because copyright is only claimed for changes meeting
      a certain threshold of originality"
[3] "It's up to those people to add a line if they so decide.
      Copyright only covers expressions of creativity."

Those suggests, there seem to be common understanding on if/how/when
it is recommended or even necessary to update copyright notice
in a source file of a Boost library.

Wouldn't it be helpful to captured those as guidelines in the BSL FAQ.
Would there be someone knowledgeable about it and willing to
make the update or at least explain it here?
(I will make it into HTML and PR to boostorg/website)

I understand David and Beman, primary authors of the page [1],
may no longer be available.

[1] https://www.boost.org/users/license.html
[2] https://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2015/09/225565.php
[3] https://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2015/09/225570.php

Best regards,
--
Mateusz Loskot, http://mateusz.loskot.net
-- 
Mateusz Loskot, http://mateusz.loskot.net