Liblicense

System Overview

Purpose

To provide a simple way for developers to make their applications license aware. Additionally, supplemental modules aim to provide a method for users to track licenses of files on their system. This project complements Companion File metadata specification and Tracker CC Indexing.

Architecture

Config Modules

• in_use() - returns whether or not the corresponding config system exists on the computer
• get() - returns the current default license uri
• set(uri) - sets the default license uri and returns 0 upon success (non-zero for errors)

I/O Modules

• mime_types - null terminated list of handled mime-types (all indicates external storage method which works for any file)
• read(filename) - returns the license uri for the given file (embedded license takes precedence)
• write(filename,uri) - writes the license uri for the given file

License Files (.rdf)

Attributes

• cc:license
  • about
  • permits
  • requires
  • prohibits
• dc:title - The human readable name of the license.
• dc:description - Description of the license.
• dc:coverage - The jurisdiction of the license. (country code from ISO3166)
• dc:language - The language of the license. (language code under RFC3066)
• dc:relation
  • hasVersion - version number
  • isReplacedBy - indicates retired license (URI)
  • isBasedOn - indicates ported version (URI)
• dc:rights license - license the license is available under (URI)
• dc:type - always "License"
• dc:creator
• dc:publisher
• dc:identifier - URI of license (URI)

Example

<rdf:RDF
   xmlns="http://creativecommons.org/ns#"
   xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
   xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
>
  <rdf:Description rdf:about="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/za/">
    <dc:title>Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives</dc:title>
    <dc:description>This license allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as it is passed along unchanged and in whole, with credit to you.</dc:description>
    <dc:coverage>za</dc:coverage>
    <dc:language>en</dc:language>
    <dc:hasVersion>2.0</dc:hasVersion>
    <dc:isReplacedBy>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/za/</dc:isReplacedBy>
    <dc:isBasedOn>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/</dc:isBasedOn>
    <dc:type>License</dc:type>
    <dc:creator>iCommons</dc:creator>
    <dc:publisher>Creative Commons</dc:publisher>
    <dc:identifier>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/za/</dc:identifier>

    <rdf:type rdf:resource="http://creativecommons.org/ns#License"/>
    <permits rdf:resource="http://creativecommons.org/ns#Distribution"/>
    <permits rdf:resource="http://creativecommons.org/ns#Reproduction"/>
    <requires rdf:resource="http://creativecommons.org/ns#Attribution"/>
    <requires rdf:resource="http://creativecommons.org/ns#Notice"/>
  </rdf:Description>
</rdf:RDF>

Frontends

See Desktop Integration

Timeline

6/18

• Finalize liblicense API.

6/25

• Write liblicense.
• Stub config and IO modules.

7/2

• liblicense python bindings.

7/9

• Gconf config module.
• Nautilus IO module.

7/16

• Nautilus GUI frontend.
• Gnome control panel frontend.

7/23

• Sugar Journal backend.
• Sugar frontend.

7/30

• Bug hunting.
• Frontend polishing.

8/6

8/13

8/20