Re: MPlayer DFSG compatibility status
On Wed, Oct 08, 2003 at 11:36:23AM +0200, Wouter Verhelst wrote:
> The violation wouldn't be DFSG-related (the DFSG doesn't say anything
> about patents, only about licenses).
"License" is relevant to both patents and copyrights. If software is
affected by an enforced patent, and a license to that patent is not
granted, the work is non-free.
More importantly, the DFSG talks about required freedoms. If freedoms
for a work are actively being restricted by eg. trademark or patent law,
then the work is just as non-free as if they were restricted by copyright.
For example, if the Official Use Logo was placed under a permissive
copyright license, but maintained strict restrictions under trademark
law, then the freedoms required by the DFSG are not available--it would
still not be DFSG-free.
Using laws other than copyright to restrict freedom is not a loophole to
main.
--
Glenn Maynard
Reply to: