Re: Copyright of console illustrations

On Tuesday, September 9, 2025 1:29:12 AM Mountain Standard Time Andrea 
Pappacoda wrote:
> > The question that I'm left with is- does the non-commercial mandate of 
> > these images destroy DFSG-freeness of the package they're included in? 
> > Personally, I don't think it passes the desert island test, but I also 
> > suspect that level of scrutiny (clearly) violates their original 
> > intent.
> 
> I have another idea instead. Assuming that by "non-commercial" they 
> meant to prohibit usage in non-free projects, but allow usage in 
> DFSG-free projects, this clause does not pose any additional restriction 
> on melonDS. This is because melonDS is GPL, and the GPL imposes that the 
> work always stays GPL - hence free. So the case where these 
> illustrations, included in melonDS, are used inside a larger 
> non-open-source project does not ever happen.
> 
> I know I'm probably stretching it a bit too much here, but I'm just 
> curious to hear your (and Dimensions') opinion on this.

Just to be clear.

1.  To be DFSG-free, a license must allow commercial use.

"No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor

The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program in a 
specific field of endeavor. For example, it may not restrict the program from 
being *used in a business*, or from being used for genetic research.”

https://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines

2.  The GPL requires allowing commercial use.  Not only may GPL software be 
used by a commercial entity, but GPL software (or any fork thereof) may be 
sold for a price (as long as the source code is available in accordance with 
the GPL).

https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLCommercially

https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#NoMilitary

I think that most of the people in this discussion understand both of these 
points, but I thought I would make them explicit in case either of these are 
not clear to someone.

-- 
Soren Stoutner
[email protected]

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