[Proj] Method of reference to license within software code modules

[Charles Wilson]

On Mon, 5 Jan 2009 19:43:25 -0500, "Gerald I. Evenden" said:
> Question: does/should a copy of the license that covers a program module
> be 
> placed within each and every source file??

The usual practice is yes, when the license itself is short (20-30
lines). So, MIT license, BSD, usually yes.

> I had been putting a copy of the MIT in every file of whatever that ends
> up in 
> a distubution tarball.  Is that necessary?  I doubt that a copy of the
> 10,000 
> lines of GPL ends up in each of Stallman's files.  ;-)

Right. The FSF gives the following advice:
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-howto.html
which basically says: here's 20-30 lines of boilerplate that goes in
each and every file; include one copy of the entire GPL in your package.

So, that's the way RMS's files are done.

> Is a reference and url (such as 
> http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php
> sufficient?

Usually no, as Frank mentioned.

> Anyway, I feel that I have been a bit excessive.

Nope, I think you did it just right.

--
Chuck