The files in Lib/multiprocessing (except __init__.py) are referring to their license by point to a nonexistent file called COPYING.txt.

This possibly needs clarification as if this file is missing or the license is to be found somewhere else.

Third-party code contributed to the stdlib is covered by an agreement that allows PSF to use it under PSF license. Comments in multiprocessing files can just be removed (this happened for argparse some time ago). Thanks for noticing this!

Éric, I don't think it's that simple. The author still has the copyright,
even if he licensed the files under the contributor agreement.

At the very least you have to leave his name and copyright notice.

Yes; the copyright has to stay; but the license data can leave afaik.

[Cc: psf@python.org]

Jesse Noller <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:
> 
> Yes; the copyright has to stay; but the license data can leave afaik.

If R Oudkerk signed the agreement, replacing 'see COPYING.txt' with
'Licensed to PSF under a Contributor Agreement.' should be fine.

Does the PSF have the agreement?

Stefan Krah

If I'm not mistaken, the original code was BSD, so in the absence of a
contributor agreement one could include the full BSD license in each
file.

http://pyprocessing.berlios.de/doc/COPYING.html

Hi Stefan - I'm familiar with the license/etc of the original module. This bug isn't urgent; I shot a quick email to the PSF's secretary Pat to confirm we have a contributor agreement however.

Jesse, there's no doubt that you know the original license. :)

I should have been more verbose: My BSD comment was intended for public
consumption. People often think GPL if they see a reference to COPYING.txt.

Egad No! I gotcha. I'll find out what the deal with the contrib. agreement is. Pretty sure we had to wait on it when we brought it in.

Is there any timeline on when this will be fixed? It's currently blocking work on a python-related package for Debian.

On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 8:15 AM, Michael Fladischer
<report@bugs.python.org> wrote:
>
> Michael Fladischer <michael@fladi.at> added the comment:
>
> Is there any timeline on when this will be fixed? It's currently blocking work on a python-related package for Debian.
>

I'll ping the PSF board for the legal recommendations again.

Hi Jesse,

Any word from PSF board regarding this issue? I was hoping to fix it and have it be my 1st contribution to Python.

Thanks

We have to add the BSD header and maintain the copyright clause on all of the multiprocessing files. Apologies for the delay

Replaced all entries of "--- see COPYING.txt" with the BSD license. See patch attached.

Committed in r87225, r87226, and r87227.  Thanks, Daniel.