[cph@zurich.ai.mit.edu: spice3]
A while back I talked to rms and people at UCB to try and get
spice3 (electronics software simulation package) under a GPL
license. Here is a message from Chris Hanson, which summarizes
efforts and results:
Please reply to the list, not to the people listed here.
----- Forwarded message from Chris Hanson <cph@zurich.ai.mit.edu> -----
To: rms@gnu.org, rnewton@ic.eecs.berkeley.edu, pa3aba@debian.org,
gjs@zurich.ai.mit.edu
Subject: spice3
X-Mailer: Edwin [version 3.99, MIT Scheme Release 7.5a]
From: Chris Hanson <cph@zurich.ai.mit.edu>
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 14:22:50 -0500
A long time ago we had some discussions about re-releasing spice3 as
free software. This message is a summary of the current situation so
that everyone understands what has happened, and to bring closure to
the effort. Please feel free to correct me if this message is wrong.
My current understanding is that this effort is finished, and that the
software will not be freed. Although Richard Newton has stated that
he is happy for the software to be freed under the GPL, this hasn't
happened, and attempts some time ago to contact Richard by phone and
email were fruitless.
Meanwhile, UCB has revised the original license on the software. The
original license was ambiguous but had one interpretation in which the
software was free. The new license explicitly forbids commercial use
of the software, and thus is non-free.
My interpretation of this is that this part of UCB isn't interested in
free software. Richard is willing to help but has probably
encountered resistance from UCB administrators. Additionally, it is
possible that our efforts helped to bring about the current situation
by bringing this issue to the attention of the UCB administrators.
I think it's time to move on and figure out how to build a new spice
that is better than spice3.
----- End forwarded message -----
Thanks,
Joop
--
Joop Stakenborg PA4TU, ex-PA3ABA
<pa3aba@debian.org>
Linux Amateur Radio Software Database
http://radio.linux.org.au
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