[tz] NIST leap-second file not yet updated

[Paul_Koning at dell.com]

> On Feb 15, 2016, at 2:55 PM, Martin Burnicki <martin.burnicki at meinberg.de> wrote:
> 
> Tim Parenti wrote:
>> 
>> On 15 February 2016 at 13:29, Arthur David Olson
>> <arthurdavidolson at gmail.com <mailto:arthurdavidolson at gmail.com>> wrote:
>> 
>>    Unless the copyright situation has changed since then...
> 
> Hm, I've just had a look at the current file once more:
> https://hpiers.obspm.fr/iers/bul/bulc/ntp/leap-seconds.list
> 
> I don't see any copyright statement at all in it, nor in the directory
> containing the file.
> 
> Would we require a statement telling explicitly that permission to copy
> the file is granted?

Yes, I believe so.  As others have pointed out, current copyright law (I believe in most countries, as part of the current copyright treaty arrangements) is that copyright is automatic.  That replaces an earlier US rule that copyright only applies if explicitly claimed.  This is why ADO added explicit "this is in the public domain"notices in the TZ files.

>> I'm not sure how the staff of IERS feel about this, but this sounds like
>> the kind of thing that might perhaps be solved by a simple request.  If,
>> as Steve says, they're "on public record as having interest in
>> disseminating the information", then perhaps they'd be glad to more
>> explicitly place it in the public domain.
> 
> I think this is true. I've been earlier in touch with the folks who
> create the file so I'll contact them and ask ...

Given the mission of IERS, it would seem that this should not be an issue.  It's pretty likely that the absence of a statement in the files is an oversight, perhaps caused by an assumption that absence of a stated restriction means there isn't a restriction.  (But in fact, absence of statement means no permission -- it doesn't mean no restriction...)

	paul