[SciPy-dev] Machine learning datasets (was Presentation of pymachine, a python package for machine learning)

[David Cournapeau]

Bruce Southey wrote:
> Hi,
> An example, AirPassengers  is not under the GPL. If you do
> help("AirPassengers") you will see the source:
> " Box, G. E. P., Jenkins, G. M. and Reinsel, G. C. (1976) _Time Series
> Analysis, Forecasting and Control._ Third Edition.  Holden-Day. Series
> G."
>
This is why I feel a bit uneasy about this: when you distribute 
something under alicense, said GPL, you can only apply it to the parts 
you own the copyright. But R obviously does not own the datasets they 
distribute. This goes well beyond my knowledge of copyright, and I don't 
know what I should do about "fair use" (this concept is pretty much 
specific to the americain copyright system anyway, no ?). Eg if the 
package is included in scipy, and tomorrow someone sells super visual 
scipy, can't they be in trouble because they use (distribute) datasets 
which they do not own ?

For GPL, at least, nobody can "close back" the sources, but with BSD, 
this is not that clear, and I don't want to add code which I am not 100 
% sure they can distributed under scipy license.

cheers,

David