Re: New Sun's documentation license

[Walter Landry <wlandry@ucsd.edu>]

Peter Novodvorsky <nidd@myxomop.com> wrote:
> Hello!
> 
> What do you think about this[1] license, is it DFSG free? I didn't
> find this file in txt or html, sorry :(
> 
> This license is going to be used as documentation license for
> OpenOffice.Org documentation.
> 
> Thing that frightens me is: "grants You a world-wide, royalty-free, 
> non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, prepare Modifications of, 
> compile, publicly perform, publicly display, demonstrate, market, 
> disclose and distribute the Documentation in any form,", modification
> right isn't mentioned, only "prepare Modifications".

I don't think that it is a problem.  It gives you the right to
"prepare Modifications of ... and distribute the Documentation in any
form".  I think it is clear enough what it means.

In fact, it is a rather nice license, much better than the GFDL.  It
is basically a copyleft for documents.  It doesn't have the
endorsements or exemptions for small scale copying that many seem to
want.  The only thing that gives me pause is the choice of law clause
in section 10.  That doesn't make it non-free, though.

Regards,
Walter Landry
wlandry@ucsd.edu