Re: [Singular-team] texi2html at cvshome

Hi,

This is a response to Hans Schoenemann and a summary for the texi2html
mailing list about the texi2html copyright/licence.
I believe we are near the end ;-).

The first thing to say is that I searched for the real copyright holder
because I want to make public domain some code which is GPL in order to
make it part of a configuration file (put in texi2html.init some code 
from texi2html.pl).

This is from Lionel Cons:

   I've done more research now and found some paper documents from 1994
   where CERN "disclaims all copyright interest" in texi2html and
   transferring all rights to the FSF. These two papers have been sent to
   RMS. I don't know what happened since.

This is from Karl Berry:

   I was indeed the one who put the FSF as the copyright owner of texi2html
   during the brief time when I maintained it, but that was just wrong.  I
   never actually talked to anyone at the FSF about it.

And this is from Lionel Cons too:

   Neither the original author (me) nor his employer (CERN) are
   interested in this program anymore. If it doesn't belong to the FSF
   then get hold of it and simply keep my name on it as initial author.

Now here is what Hans Schoenemann says:

> To our understanding, texi2html was in the public domain at that time
> we started to use and improve it (mainly Olaf Bachman from the Singular
> team worked on it). But now Olaf has left  the team and does not have
> the time to work on texi2html.
> If it helps, we will officially release the changes under the GPL.

In fact when Olaf worked on texi2html it was allready GPL, but the copyright
holding was wrongly on the FSF.

Now the question is who wants to be the copyright holder. Hans, do you want
to be the copyright holder ? And Derek ? If nobody wants I will take the
hold on the copyright such that it remains GPL.

Pat