Our MobileFrontend extension, which is currently deployed on Wikimedia sites, uses WURFL to detect the mobile devices it targets. However, I recently became aware the version of the WURFL data files we use has a rather restrictive license.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wmlprogramming/message/34311
The license seems to suggest we are not even supposed to redistribute verbatim copies or install the data files on multiple servers rather than only making "[...] one copy [...]", if not merely fail to grant such permission. Currently, the files are in our Subversion repository and are going to end up in Git soon.
I am not a lawyer, and I realize this is probably a matter for the Wikimedia Foundation to handle, albeit one of urgent importance to us. If I am not mistaken, proper removal of infringing material from Git repositories is somewhat painful in that it causes all child SHA-1 hashes to change, so I feel resolution of the above licensing concern blocks Git migration of at least the MobileFrontend extension.
Yes, ScientiaMobile has made some very important changes to the license and it does mean (AFAIK) that you cannot store the wurfl.xml in a repository.
This paragraph is particularly important:
"You are not authorized to create a derivative work of or otherwise modify this WURFL file, and you are further not authorized to use, copy, display, or distribute, in each case, any derivative work of this WURFL file, whether created by you or someone else."
I think it's best with waiting to put the file in git and I'll forward this question to the legal team.
Best, Diederik
On Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 12:03 AM, Kevin Israel pleasestand@live.com wrote:
Our MobileFrontend extension, which is currently deployed on Wikimedia sites, uses WURFL to detect the mobile devices it targets. However, I recently became aware the version of the WURFL data files we use has a rather restrictive license.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wmlprogramming/message/34311
The license seems to suggest we are not even supposed to redistribute verbatim copies or install the data files on multiple servers rather than only making "[...] one copy [...]", if not merely fail to grant such permission. Currently, the files are in our Subversion repository and are going to end up in Git soon.
I am not a lawyer, and I realize this is probably a matter for the Wikimedia Foundation to handle, albeit one of urgent importance to us. If I am not mistaken, proper removal of infringing material from Git repositories is somewhat painful in that it causes all child SHA-1 hashes to change, so I feel resolution of the above licensing concern blocks Git migration of at least the MobileFrontend extension.
-- Wikipedia user PleaseStand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:PleaseStand
Wikitech-l mailing list Wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l
On 3/20/2012 11:35 PM, Diederik van Liere wrote:
Yes, ScientiaMobile has made some very important changes to the license and it does mean (AFAIK) that you cannot store the wurfl.xml in a repository.
ScientiaMobile basically took an open data repository and closed it, the complete opposite of what the WMF is trying to do. I'd strongly suggest looking for real Open solutions like OpenDDR/DeviceMap
On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 10:37 PM, Q overlordq@gmail.com wrote:
ScientiaMobile basically took an open data repository and closed it, the complete opposite of what the WMF is trying to do. I'd strongly suggest looking for real Open solutions like OpenDDR/DeviceMap
And apparently they've been trying to take down legitimate copies, too: http://openddr.org/takedown.html
Yikes, that's evil. To the extent we're relying on it today, we should move off it ASAP.
I can remove it.
— Patrick
On Mar 20, 2012, at 10:53 PM, Erik Moeller erik@wikimedia.org wrote:
On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 10:37 PM, Q overlordq@gmail.com wrote:
ScientiaMobile basically took an open data repository and closed it, the complete opposite of what the WMF is trying to do. I'd strongly suggest looking for real Open solutions like OpenDDR/DeviceMap
And apparently they've been trying to take down legitimate copies, too: http://openddr.org/takedown.html
Yikes, that's evil. To the extent we're relying on it today, we should move off it ASAP.
-- Erik Möller VP of Engineering and Product Development, Wikimedia Foundation
Support Free Knowledge: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate
Wikitech-l mailing list Wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l
I am in touch with the core developers of the Apache Devicemap project and we are exploring the possibility of collaborating. If something comes out of this exploration then I will announce it here. Best, Diederik
On Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 2:33 AM, Patrick Reilly preilly@wikimedia.org wrote:
I can remove it.
— Patrick
On Mar 20, 2012, at 10:53 PM, Erik Moeller erik@wikimedia.org wrote:
On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 10:37 PM, Q overlordq@gmail.com wrote:
ScientiaMobile basically took an open data repository and closed it, the complete opposite of what the WMF is trying to do. I'd strongly suggest looking for real Open solutions like OpenDDR/DeviceMap
And apparently they've been trying to take down legitimate copies, too: http://openddr.org/takedown.html
Yikes, that's evil. To the extent we're relying on it today, we should move off it ASAP.
-- Erik Möller VP of Engineering and Product Development, Wikimedia Foundation
Support Free Knowledge: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate
Wikitech-l mailing list Wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l
Wikitech-l mailing list Wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l
On Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 1:53 AM, Erik Moeller erik@wikimedia.org wrote:
On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 10:37 PM, Q overlordq@gmail.com wrote:
ScientiaMobile basically took an open data repository and closed it, the complete opposite of what the WMF is trying to do. I'd strongly suggest looking for real Open solutions like OpenDDR/DeviceMap
And apparently they've been trying to take down legitimate copies, too: http://openddr.org/takedown.html
Yikes, that's evil. To the extent we're relying on it today, we should move off it ASAP.
MobileFrontend was moved over to git with the rest of the WMF-deployed extensions today. In the process, I rewrote the history to drop WURFL entirely.
-Chad
Ironically, WURFL is now violating Sourceforge's Terms of Use, as their software is not compliant with the Open Source Initiative's Open Source Definition. I'll drop a note to SourceForge's staff.
Ryan Kaldari
On 3/20/12 9:35 PM, Diederik van Liere wrote:
Yes, ScientiaMobile has made some very important changes to the license and it does mean (AFAIK) that you cannot store the wurfl.xml in a repository.
This paragraph is particularly important:
"You are not authorized to create a derivative work of or otherwise modify this WURFL file, and you are further not authorized to use, copy, display, or distribute, in each case, any derivative work of this WURFL file, whether created by you or someone else."
I think it's best with waiting to put the file in git and I'll forward this question to the legal team.
Best, Diederik
On Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 12:03 AM, Kevin Israelpleasestand@live.com wrote:
Our MobileFrontend extension, which is currently deployed on Wikimedia sites, uses WURFL to detect the mobile devices it targets. However, I recently became aware the version of the WURFL data files we use has a rather restrictive license.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wmlprogramming/message/34311
The license seems to suggest we are not even supposed to redistribute verbatim copies or install the data files on multiple servers rather than only making "[...] one copy [...]", if not merely fail to grant such permission. Currently, the files are in our Subversion repository and are going to end up in Git soon.
I am not a lawyer, and I realize this is probably a matter for the Wikimedia Foundation to handle, albeit one of urgent importance to us. If I am not mistaken, proper removal of infringing material from Git repositories is somewhat painful in that it causes all child SHA-1 hashes to change, so I feel resolution of the above licensing concern blocks Git migration of at least the MobileFrontend extension.
-- Wikipedia user PleaseStand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:PleaseStand
Wikitech-l mailing list Wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l
Wikitech-l mailing list Wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l
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