Hello everyone,
I recently started to host my own container registry via GitLab. I use it to build container images for my own use (bundling mostly CLI tools at the moment) and would like to publish them, too, so others may use them as well.
Now since I use Fedora Linux on all of my systems, I would also like to use it as a base for the containers where necessary (I.e. where alpine Linux doesn't work). Now I'm wondering if there are any restrictions that I should be aware of with regard to the publishing of these images. That is mostly because I have hardly ever seen any container on e.g. the docker Hub that's based on Fedora.
I do not use the Fedora trademark, I don't advertise that the containers are built on top of a Fedora base container, I never mention the word Fedora in any of the docs associated with the containers. The only relation between these containers and the Fedora project is the line `FROM registry.fedoraproject.org/fedora:36` at the beginning of my Containerfiles. Is this acceptable, or does that already mean that I mustn't publish these images?
In case I am allowed to publish such container images: Are there any packages that need to be removed from the containers? I know that Fedora Remixes mustn't use the official Fedora logo RPMs but supply their own instead. Are these part of the containers and hence need I remove them?
Finally, again in case I am allowed to publish such container images in the first place, which applications am I allowed to bundle with the containers? I am aware that Fedora has adopted e.g. the "3rd-party repositories" in Gnome Software, which give filtered access to flathub applications, due to legal reasons. I would *assume* that it's okay to publish e.g. GPL-licensed software along with a Fedora container. What about other licenses such as MIT?
Sorry for the lengthy mail, but I haven't been involved much with legal matters regarding software in my life before. I just want to make sure I'm legally allowed to do what I want to, *before* I get into trouble for infringing trademarks/licenses or anything. I have already searched the web and the archives of this mailing list, but that didn't produce any results.
Thank you in advance!
Kind regards Andreas Hartmann
Hello,
since I haven't received a response in 2 weeks now, I assume that it is indeed fine to publish containers based on `fedora:36` or `fedora-minimal:36` images without further modifications. Furthermore I assume that this does not violate any copyright/trademark regulations by the Fedora Project and doesn't require special permission, at least not if done as described in the email attached below (i.e. without advertising it as "Fedora Container").
I'd be happy to write something up in the Wiki for anyone else asking the same question, if you think that's worthwhile. Maybe a paragraph in the trademark/licensing pages would suffice?
Thanks, Andreas
On Sat, 2022-05-28 at 09:03 +0200, Andreas Hartmann wrote:
Hello everyone,
I recently started to host my own container registry via GitLab. I use it to build container images for my own use (bundling mostly CLI tools at the moment) and would like to publish them, too, so others may use them as well.
Now since I use Fedora Linux on all of my systems, I would also like to use it as a base for the containers where necessary (I.e. where alpine Linux doesn't work). Now I'm wondering if there are any restrictions that I should be aware of with regard to the publishing of these images. That is mostly because I have hardly ever seen any container on e.g. the docker Hub that's based on Fedora.
I do not use the Fedora trademark, I don't advertise that the containers are built on top of a Fedora base container, I never mention the word Fedora in any of the docs associated with the containers. The only relation between these containers and the Fedora project is the line `FROM registry.fedoraproject.org/fedora:36` at the beginning of my Containerfiles. Is this acceptable, or does that already mean that I mustn't publish these images?
In case I am allowed to publish such container images: Are there any packages that need to be removed from the containers? I know that Fedora Remixes mustn't use the official Fedora logo RPMs but supply their own instead. Are these part of the containers and hence need I remove them?
Finally, again in case I am allowed to publish such container images in the first place, which applications am I allowed to bundle with the containers? I am aware that Fedora has adopted e.g. the "3rd-party repositories" in Gnome Software, which give filtered access to flathub applications, due to legal reasons. I would *assume* that it's okay to publish e.g. GPL-licensed software along with a Fedora container. What about other licenses such as MIT?
Sorry for the lengthy mail, but I haven't been involved much with legal matters regarding software in my life before. I just want to make sure I'm legally allowed to do what I want to, *before* I get into trouble for infringing trademarks/licenses or anything. I have already searched the web and the archives of this mailing list, but that didn't produce any results.
Thank you in advance!
Kind regards Andreas Hartmann _______________________________________________ legal mailing list -- legal@lists.fedoraproject.org To unsubscribe send an email to legal-leave@lists.fedoraproject.org Fedora Code of Conduct: https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/project/code-of-conduct/ List Guidelines: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines List Archives: https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/legal@lists.fedoraproject.org Do not reply to spam on the list, report it: https://pagure.io/fedora-infrastructure
On Sat, Jun 11, 2022 at 7:15 AM Andreas Hartmann hartan@7x.de wrote:
Hello,
since I haven't received a response in 2 weeks now, I assume that it is indeed fine to publish containers based on `fedora:36` or `fedora-minimal:36` images without further modifications. Furthermore I assume that this does not violate any copyright/trademark regulations by the Fedora Project and doesn't require special permission, at least not if done as described in the email attached below (i.e. without advertising it as "Fedora Container").
I'd be happy to write something up in the Wiki for anyone else asking the same question, if you think that's worthwhile. Maybe a paragraph in the trademark/licensing pages would suffice?
We have generally permitted layered containers. In fact, we have specific "branding" packages for container builds. The general rules around saying it isn't a "Fedora" container (in the sense that it is delivered by and officially endorsed by the Fedora Project) do apply here. Feel free to state that your containers are based on the official Fedora base containers though. :)
I don't know if this is written up anywhere, but as the pages around these guidelines are protected, someone with rights will need to update them.
-- 真実はいつも一つ！/ Always, there's only one truth!
On Sat, Jun 11, 2022 at 01:15:15PM +0200, Andreas Hartmann wrote:
I'd be happy to write something up in the Wiki for anyone else asking the same question, if you think that's worthwhile. Maybe a paragraph in the trademark/licensing pages would suffice?
Sorry for this slow reply here. I am working with Legal to get the trademark pages updated to better cover use cases which have developed since they were written.
I don't think we _want_, as a project, to dissuade people from using Fedora base images as they were intended.
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Andreas Hartmann -
Matthew Miller -
Neal Gompa