license issue

[Marcus Brinkmann]

Hi,

I am not subscribed to the list, so please CC me on replies.

I am grateful for this resource, it helped me a lot.  However, to
actually be able to use the files, I can't just drop them into my
macro dir, I also have to go an insert the copyright statement from
the README, the exception from COPYRIGHT-Exception, and the author
from the html docs.

The AC archive should really follow the GNU standard here and give
each file its own full header with copyright notice, author, and
license (in its typical 19-line form + exception).  Only then you can
go and take the file and drop it into your project.

The current web interface is particularly bad at this as you can
download the m4 file and end up with no license, copyright or author
information at all.

Some people consider it a waste to repeat all this info in each file.
They feel that it is even more of a waste if the file is short,
sometimes shorter than the license statement.  But that can't be
helped.  Beside the above usability issue there is a legal issue.  RMS
even asks us to add copyright waivers to changelogs and README files.
AFAIK (could be wrong) the FSF lawyers strongly suggested that each
file must have its own license statement, a single package wide is not
enough.

Maybe you are already aware of all this and already took care of this
as part of your big rewrite you announced on the web page.  That will
be fine.  I am looking forward to it :)

Thanks,
Marcus