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I need to package an internal project as a debian package. That project will never ever be downloaded by anyone outside of our company, but the debian packaging system insists on there being a copyright file.

What should I choose for this file? There's a remote possibility that a sysadmin could stumble upon that package and would like to read its licence. What should it then read?

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2 Answers 2

for internal code I would make the copyright file simply be a one line copyright 'your company here' licenses are for distribution of code and you aren't distributing. I would hope your sysadmin knows the name of your company.

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+1 - Copyright {Year} {Company Name}, all rights reserved is the best thing to put. –  TZHX Jun 7 '12 at 13:45
You might add "For internal use only" to make the intention clear, might be relevant when using GPL or other license which allow free use but have restriction on redistribution and when the code leaks. –  johannes Jun 7 '12 at 18:48

Although it's likely that Ryathal's answer is suitable in most instances, you might also want to consult your manager or legal department. There might be a standard template for projects. Although it's currently an internal product, it would be wise to have your company's standard copyright/license notice (if one exists) should it ever be released or sold in the future, or perhaps in a worse case gets leaked.

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