[Tutor] Lengthy copyright notices?

[David L Neil]

On 16/07/19 12:47 PM, Alan Gauld via Tutor wrote:
> On 15/07/2019 23:34, Mats Wichmann wrote:
> 
>> Rule #1: it's all opinion in the end...

Not quite. Different jurisdictions (remember, this list has an 
international membership!) have different understandings of (even, 
respect for) copyrights and permissions.

I live in a jurisdiction where whatever I write ("create") is mine - or 
my employer's. It is not even necessary to claim or "exert" copyright!

However, under the 'different strokes...' rule, I still include a 
copyright/license statement - if only to avoid misunderstandings in 
places that have other requirements and to at least 'make an effort' to 
communicate with those who have no such concepts - either in society, or 
(un)enshrined in law.


>> The common practice is that licence/copyright text is included as a
>> comment in the code, not in a docstring.
> 
> I'd second that opinion. I don't like losing the copyright stuff
> to a separate file - too easy to get lost. But I certainly don't
> want it in my help() output either.
> 
> A comment solves both for the downside of some initial scrolling
> when reading or editing the file

Some disagreement here.
(but nothing worth fighting-over!)

One line offers plenty of space to exert a claim (such can be very 
simple and does not need to be lawyer-speak!) which should also refer to 
the template's/package's external file or web-page. The latter giving as 
much space for whatever you (or your legal representative(s) ) might 
want to say!

There can be quite an accumulation of 'paper-work' at the top of 
modules, which then has to be scrolled-through before we can get 
stuck-in to function/class/__main__ code - even with an editor's 
code-folding assistance.

Should it be left to the (far) end of the file? Would it lessen any 
legal implication?

Aside from possibly irritating 'the good guys', does such really 'stop' 
a determined rapscallion?
(...desperate student, lazy 'professional', corporate 'raider'...?)

-- 
Regards =dn