Code import etiquette / legalities

[PaulBlay]

This is pretty much a newbie question, but what is involved if I want
to import some feature from Angband to an Angband variant?

Is it enough to put something like

/* 
 * Copyright (C) 2007 by takkaria
 * Code modified from Angband 3.1.0 source for [variant] by Paul Blay 2009
 */

on the top or does the variant have to be under the GPL ?
Can 'just that bit' be under the GPL?

Anyway I'd like some pointers (not wanting to tread on anybody's toes).

[Magnate]

If it's your own variant, you can decide on your own licensing scheme (and we hope you'll choose the GPL) - and there are standard dual-licence notices at the top of each code block in V, so you can just reproduce it with the bit that you borrow (you can use either of the two offered licences for borrowed code - again, we hope you'll choose the GPL). (That is, unless Takkaria wants all code borrowed from V to be dual-licensed, but I don't think he does.)

If it's someone else's variant, you should get the maintainer's views on how s/he wants to licence code borrowed from V.

If it's a variant without a current maintainer, your guess is as good as mine. I'd stick to the GPL in every case.

CC

[PaulBlay]

If it's someone else's variant, you should get the maintainer's views on how s/he wants to licence code borrowed from V.

Good point. I didn't realise there were options.

I shall sound out the maintainer on GPL (it isn't currently under GPL).

A fair bit of the code is from earlier versions of other variants (and Angband itself) so I suppose many of the people who wrote that code have agreed to GPL for the current Angband (and possibly some of the variants in between). If he likes the idea I suppose whoever organized the GPL effort for Angband may be able to help him out if he wants to go that way for the rest of the code in his variant.

[Magnate]

whoever organized the GPL effort for Angband

That would be another of Takkaria's impressive achievements. There's quite a lot of detail on rephial.org about who has been contacted and exactly what code or other contribution they've made. This should make it easier to identify which bits of the variant can be considered GPLd, and any which can't yet be.

CC

[Nick]

In fact, see here for takkaria's brief (!) rundown of the process.

[takkaria]

In fact, see here for takkaria's brief (!) rundown of the process.

I'm not sure I could make it any briefer.