Re: ubuntu translation credits

[Yavor Doganov <yavor doganov org>]

Benoît Dejean wrote:
> 
> IANAL, so is it GPL violation to strip translators names from
> applications ? 

IANAL as well, but here's how I understand it.

Typically, a PO header is like this:

# Copyright (C) 2005, 2006 FSF (or John Doe, or program's copyright
  holder, it doesn't matter)
# John Doe <john doe org>, 2005, 2006.

<strings>
msgid "translator-credits"
msgstr "John Doe <john doe org>"
<strings>

So if they're making a derivative, they cannot remove the copyright
notice from the header, instead they have to add:

# Copyright (C) 2006 Rossetta contributors (or whatever)
# Ubuntu Dude(ette) <foo example org>, 2006.

What they do with the translator-credits string is up to their
conscience and good will.  If I was in their place, I'd keep it intact
and would add just my name, without removing the original names --
this is both right from ethical point of view and doesn't give the
users the wrong impression that Ubuntu Dude(ette) did all the work.