Prepare 3.2 version of specification

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -20,16 +20,7 @@ following sections:
 
 The versions follow [semantic versioning](https://semver.org).
 
-## Unreleased - YYYY-MM-DD
-
-### Changed
-### Deprecated
-### Removed
-### Fixed
-### Security
-### Added
-
-## 3.1 - 2023-06-21
+## 3.2 - YYYY-MM-DD
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -59,7 +50,7 @@ The versions follow [semantic versioning](https://semver.org).
 
 - URLs to currently applicable SPDX specification. (#49)
 
-- Define current order or precedence. (#131)
+- Define an order or precedence. (formerly #131, overhauled in #133)
 
 ### Changed
 
@@ -72,6 +63,12 @@ The versions follow [semantic versioning](https://semver.org).
 
 - Minor typos and grammar mistakes. Thanks @jlovejoy and @Jayman2000!
 
+- Improved definition of Copyright Notices. (#133)
+
+## 3.1 - 2023-06-21 [YANKED]
+
+This version was yanked soon after release after a new definition of the order
+of precedence broke compatibility.
 
 ## 3.0 - 2019-08-07
 

spec.md

@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019 Free Software Foundation Europe e.V.
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-4.0
 
-title: "REUSE Specification – Version 3.1"
+title: "REUSE Specification – Version 3.2"
 ---
 
-This specification defines a standardized method for declaring copyright and
+This specification defines a standardised method for declaring copyright and
 licensing for software projects. The goal of the specification is to have
 unambiguous, human- and machine-readable copyright and licensing information for
 each individual file in a project. Ideally this information is embedded into
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ These are the definitions for some of the terms used in this specification:
   copyright holders of a file or work, and describes under which licenses the
   file or work is made available.
 
+- Copyright Notice --- a line of text that conveys copyright of a copyright
+  holder.
+
 - Covered File --- any file in a Project, except for
     - The License Files.
     - The files belonging to the Project's version control system (example:
@@ -54,6 +57,9 @@ These are the definitions for some of the terms used in this specification:
 
 - Commentable File --- a plain text file that can contain comments.
 
+- Snippet --- a portion of text in a Commentable File to which different
+  Copyright and Licensing Information applies.
+
 - Uncommentable File --- either a plain text file that cannot contain comments
   or a file that is not a plain text file.
 
@@ -95,16 +101,17 @@ Everything that applies to licenses in this section also applies to license
 exceptions, with the exception that it is NOT possible to have a license
 exception that does not exist in the SPDX License List.
 
-For avoidance of doubt, in practice this means that for every license and exception
-that is part of any SPDX License Expression in any Copyright and Licensing Information
-associated with any Covered File, there MUST exist a License File as defined in this section.
+For avoidance of doubt, in practice this means that for every license and
+exception that is part of any SPDX License Expression in any Copyright and
+Licensing Information associated with any Covered File, there MUST exist a
+License File as defined in this section.
 
 ## Copyright and Licensing Information
 
 Each Covered File MUST have Copyright and Licensing Information associated with
 it. There are two ways to associate Copyright and Licensing Information with a
 file. In addition, there is a way to associate Copyright and Licensing
-Information with a snippet.
+Information with a Snippet.
 
 ### Comment headers
 
@@ -113,21 +120,16 @@ contain comments at the top of the file (comment header) that declare that
 file's Copyright and Licensing Information.
 
 For Uncommentable Files, the comment header that declares the file's Copyright
-and Licensing Information SHOULD be in an adjacent UTF-8 encoded text file of the same 
+and Licensing Information MUST be in an adjacent UTF-8 encoded text file of the same 
 name with the additional extension `.license` (example: `cat.jpg.license` if the 
 original file is `cat.jpg`).
 
 `.license` files MAY be used with Commentable Files, but it is still RECOMMENDED
 that comment headers be put inside Commentable Files.
 
-The comment header MUST contain one or more `SPDX-FileCopyrightText` tags, and one or
-more `SPDX-License-Identifier` tags. A tag is followed by a colon, followed by
-a text value, and terminated by a newline.
-
-The `SPDX-FileCopyrightText` tag MUST be followed by a copyright notice.
-
-Instead of the `SPDX-FileCopyrightText` tag, the symbol `©`, or the word `Copyright` MAY
-be used, in which case a colon is not needed.
+The comment header MUST contain one or more Copyright Notices and one or more
+`SPDX-License-Identifier` tag-value pairs. A tag is followed by a colon,
+followed by a text value, and terminated by a newline.
 
 The `SPDX-License-Identifier` tag MUST be followed by a valid SPDX License
 Expression describing the licensing of the file (example:
@@ -139,17 +141,17 @@ An example of a comment header:
 
 ```
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2016, 2018-2019 Jane Doe <[email protected]>
-# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019 Example Company
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019 Example NGO
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 ```
 
 If these tags are additionally used in the file without describing the file's
-actual license or copyright but for example as part of an output command or
-documentation, these occurrences MAY be put between two comments:
-`REUSE-IgnoreStart` and `REUSE-IgnoreEnd`. The REUSE Tool then ignores all tags
-within. This technique MUST NOT be used to ignore valid tags for licensing or
-copyright.
+actual license or copyright (for example: as part of an output command or
+documentation), these occurrences SHOULD be put between two comments:
+`REUSE-IgnoreStart` and `REUSE-IgnoreEnd`. The REUSE Tool then ignores all
+Copyright and Licensing Information between these comments. This technique MUST
+NOT be used to ignore valid Copyright and Licensing Information.
 
 An example for an ignored block:
 
@@ -164,35 +166,31 @@ echo "SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT" > file.txt
 # REUSE-IgnoreEnd
 ```
 
-### In-line snippet comments
+### In-line Snippet comments
 
-If a copyright and/or licensing info is to apply only to a certain snippet
-instead of the whole file, SPDX snippet tags SHOULD be used (as defined in [SPDX
-Specification, Annex H](https://spdx.github.io/spdx-spec/v2.3/file-tags/#h3-snippet-tags-format)).
+If some Copyright and Licensing Information inside of a Commentable File is to
+apply only to a certain Snippet instead of the whole file, SPDX snippet tags
+MUST be used for that Snippet (as defined in [SPDX Specification, Annex
+H](https://spdx.github.io/spdx-spec/v2.3/file-tags/#h3-snippet-tags-format)).
+This means that Copyright Notices inside of Snippets MUST be prefixed with
+`SPDX-SnippetCopyrightText`.
 
-Such an annotated snippet block MUST start with `SPDX-SnippetBegin` to mark its
-beginning and end with `SPDX-SnippetEnd` to mark the snippet's end.
+Like with comment headers, the SPDX snippet tags SHOULD be commented.
 
-Do note that SPDX snippet tags MUST start with `SPDX-Snippet`, meaning that the
-correct copyright notice in a snippet is `SPDX-SnippetCopyrightText`.
+A Snippet SHOULD contain both a Copyright Notice and an SPDX License Expression.
 
 Example:
 
 ```
 # SPDX-SnippetBegin
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 # SPDX-SnippetCopyrightText: 2022 Jane Doe <[email protected]>
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 
-{$snippet_code_goes_here}
+print("Hello, world!")
 
 # SPDX-SnippetEnd
 ```
 
-Snippets may nest, and this is denoted by having
-`SPDX-SnippetBegin`/`SPDX-SnippetEnd` pairs within other pairs, in the same way
-that parentheses nest in mathematical expressions. In the case of nested
-snippets, the SPDX file tags are considered to apply to the inner-most snippet.
-
 ### DEP5
 
 Alternatively, Copyright and Licensing Information MAY be associated with a
@@ -206,7 +204,8 @@ root of the Project (i.e. `.reuse/dep5`).
 The `License` tag MUST be followed by a valid SPDX License Expression describing
 the licensing of the associated files.
 
-The `Copyright` tag MUST be followed by a copyright notice.
+The `Copyright` tag MUST be followed by a Copyright Notice. The prefix of the
+Copyright Notice MAY be omitted.
 
 An example of a DEP5 file:
 
@@ -223,41 +222,56 @@ License: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
 ## Order of precedence
 
-Copyright and Licensing Information is considered according to the
-following order of precedence:
+If a Commentable File contains Copyright and Licensing Information but also has
+an adjacent `.license` file, then the Copyright and Licensing Information
+defined in the `.license` file takes precedence, and the Commentable File's
+contents are ignored.
+
+Copyright and Licensing Information defined in `.reuse/dep5` is aggregated with
+the Copyright and Licensing Information found in the Covered Files or in their
+adjacent `.license` files. For clarity, this means that if the SPDX License
+Expressions in a file's comment header and in the section for that file in
+`.reuse/dep5` do not agree with each other, then both SPDX License Expressions
+will apply to the file.
 
-1. Information defined in the `.license` file.
-2. Information defined in the Commentable File.
-3. Information defined in `.reuse/dep5`.
+## Format of Copyright Notices
 
-There is no merging of information from different sources. Only the
-source with the highest precedence is considered.
+A Copyright Notice MUST start with a tag, word or symbol (collectively:
+prefixes) from the following list:
 
-## Format of copyright notices
+- `SPDX-FileCopyrightText` (or `SPDX-SnippetCopyrightText` in Snippets)
+- Copyright
+- ©
 
-A copyright notice MUST be prefixed by a tag, symbol or word denoting a
-copyright notice as described in this specification.
+It is RECOMMENDED to use the `SPDX-FileCopyrightText` tag. You MAY add '(C)',
+'(c)' or '©' after the prefix.
 
-The copyright notice MUST contain the name of the copyright holder. The
+A Copyright Notice MUST be terminated by a newline.
+
+The Copyright Notice MUST contain the name of the copyright holder. The
 copyright notice SHOULD contain the year of publication and the contact address
 of the copyright holder. The order of these items SHOULD be: year, name, contact
 address.
 
 The year of publication MAY be a single year, multiple years, or a span of
 years.
 
-The copyright holder MAY be an individual, list of individuals, group, legal
-entity, or any other descriptor by which one can easily identify the
-copyright holder(s).
+The copyright holder SHOULD be an individual, list of individuals, group, legal
+entity, or any other descriptor by which one can easily identify the copyright
+holder(s).
 
 Any contact address SHOULD be in between angle brackets.
 
-Examples of valid copyright notices:
+You MAY add any further information to the Copyright Notice.
+
+Examples of valid Copyright Notices:
 
 ```
 SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019 Jane Doe <[email protected]>
 SPDX-FileCopyrightText: © 2019 John Doe <[email protected]>
+SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Contributors to Example Project <https://project.example.com>
+SPDX-SnippetCopyrightText: (C) Example Cooperative <[email protected]>
 © Example Corporation <https://corp.example.com>
 Copyright 2016, 2018-2019 Joe Anybody
-Copyright (c) Alice
+Copyright (c) Alice, some rights reserved
 ```