[games sig] Downloader for shareware data files for gpl engines such as vavoom

[Hans de Goede]

Jason L Tibbitts III wrote:
>>>>>> "HdG" == Hans de Goede <j.w.r.degoede at hhs.nl> writes:
> 
> HdG> Hi, I had this idea last night, it would be nice to package doom
> HdG> (and other) gpl game engines, or improved spinoffs such as
> HdG> vavoom, but they are kinda useless without the shareware
> HdG> datafiles.
> 
> The packaging guidelines specifically mention Doom:
> 
> ----
> Shareware
> 
> Shareware applications are not Open Source code, and are not
> acceptable for Fedora.
> 
> However, it is worth noting that some non-executable content exists
> that is required to make Open Source applications functional. An
> example of this would be open sourced game engines, such as Doom,
> Heretic, and Descent. These game engines come with freely
> distributable shareware gamedata files.
> 
> In this case, the gamedata files can be packaged and included in
> Fedora Extras, as long as the files meet the requirements for binary
> firmware.
> ----
> 

Yes and that last paragraph is the problem, I fully agree with this 
paragraph, but still its a problem, because one of the guidelines for 
binary firmware is:
-Explicit permission is given by the owner to freely distribute without 
restrictions (this permission must be included, in "writing", with the 
files in the packaging)

And I can't find such an explicit permission anywhere on the net. Oh 
dang, I didn't look properly (IOW I didn't use google) I just found 
licenses for doom and quake shareware data:
-http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:1vz1XKgJYZoJ:packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/non-free/d/doom-wad-shareware/doom-wad-shareware_1.9-1.1/doom-wad-shareware.copyright+doom+shareware+wad+license&hl=nl&gl=nl&ct=clnk&cd=1&client=firefox-a
Which seems to indicate doom-shareware wad can enter FE without 
problems, good!
-http://www.gamers.org/dEngine/license/quakesw-0.91.txt
Seems more problematic, we (FE) fall under the Provider catagory I 
believe which means we may distribute this:
Permitted Distribution. So long as this Agreement
         accompanies the Software at all times, ID grants to Providers the
         limited right to distribute, free of charge, except normal access
         fees, and by electronic means only, the Software; provided, 
however,
         the Software must be so electronically distributed only in a
         compressed format.

I see no problem here, there is however a restriction on commercial Use, 
but there are no restrictions on redistribution. which is all that is 
required for binary blobs (firmware, or am I missing something?).


> HdG> Now the shareware files are freely redistributed by a lot of
> HdG> sites, but nowhere there seems to be a clear license under which
> HdG> this is done, which makes things kinda dodgy.
> 
> This seems to be the case for xu4, which is an (open source) engine
> which plays the Ultima 4 data files.  I would like to package it, and
> the data is available all over (including from Sourceforge, which I
> understand has significant restrictions on what you can host there).
> But I can't find any statement that it's OK to distribute the data
> except for some archived emails.
> 

Archived emails are "in "writing"" and as such if they are clear should 
be enough.

Regards,

Hans