Re: [Gimp-developer] [Gimp-user] Test images and test suite (was Re: GIMP should fork babl and GEGL)

[Elle Stone <ellestone ninedegreesbelow com>]

On 11/11/2014 07:32 PM, Chris Mohler wrote:
> The license wording is a little ambiguous, but I interpret it to mean
> that it's OK to use it for testing purposes, as long as you aren't
> selling or otherwise distributing the image itself.  I'm not sure how
> that would relate to a project like GIMP, and it appears we'd need a
> German speaker to even ask.

Keeping in mind that I am not a lawyer and corrections/additions to 
what's below are very welcome . . .

The license for the excellent (even if not quite "family-rated") Pixl 
test image reads like many/most test image licenses. The image can't be 
redistributed as part of a package of test images. Nor can it be used 
commercially.

Which raises the question of how to license a package of test images, 
hopefully in a way to be compatible with distribution alongside 
free/libre software.

CC-BY-SA (used by Wikipedia and compatible with free software) allows 
commercial use of images. AFAIK commercial use does require a release 
from all recognizable people in the image.

Releasing an image as public domain/CC0 (also used by Wikipedia and 
compatible with free software) requires consent of the person taking the 
photograph and also would seem to require the consent of any 
recognizable person being photographed.

Also, if there is a recognizable person in the image, the thorny issue 
of personality rights is raised 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_rights).

So two practical questions are how to license and how to distribute the 
test images.

Elle