[Python-Dev] (Licensing question) backport of shutil.copyfile() functionality (original) (raw)

Terry Reedy tjreedy at udel.edu
Tue Mar 12 01:27:14 EDT 2019

On 3/11/2019 10:54 PM, Inada Naoki wrote:

Hello, some time ago I contributed a couple of patches to speedup shutil.copy*() functions: https://bugs.python.org/issue33671 https://bugs.python.org/issue33695

You retain copyright on the code you contributed.

I would like to backport both functionalities so that they can be used on Python 2.7 and <3.8 and put it on PYPI. In order to do so I will basically have to copy some parts of shutil module (copytree() function + the unit-tests I added in BPO-33671 and a couple of other things). Are there constraints regarding this in terms of license? Am I supposed to use GPL? (I was thinking about using MIT)

First of all, I'm sorry if I'm wrong. I'm not lawyer. You can use both of GPL and MIT. Users can use your package under it. On the other hand, when you publish your package, you should follow PSF license. Read this. https://docs.python.org/3/license.html """ 3. In the event Licensee prepares a derivative work that is based on or incorporates Python 3.7.2 or any part thereof, and wants to make the derivative work available to others as provided herein, then Licensee hereby agrees to include in any such work a brief summary of the changes made to Python 3.7.2. """ As you can see, PSF license doesn't force you to use PSF license. (not "copyleft")

In fact, the PSF lawyer says one should not use the 'PSF license' as it is specilized for the PSF and Python.

All you need is "brief summary of the changes made to Python".

I think it can be: # Copyright 2001- Python Software Foundation. # Copyright 2019- Your Name # # Following code is from Python standard library (Lib/shutil.py) # # Changelog: # * ...

-- Terry Jan Reedy

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