the not-quite-free Freedom Desktop :-)

[bruce@pixar.com (Bruce Perens)]

Edgar,

The "Freedom Desktop" sounds nice, but your license would put the
program in the "non-free" area of the Debian FTP archive, where it
would not generally be put on Debian CDs that are for sale. For obvious
reasons, we are most interested in free software. Please work out a
more acceptable license such as the GPL, Artistic, or BSD license.

The following are my guidelines for what we include in the core part of
Debian.  This will probably eventually make it into the Debian policy
manual.

	Thanks

	Bruce

IS IT FREE SOFTWARE? It probably is if it passes the following tests:

1. The software may be redistributed by anyone. The license may restrict
   a source file from being distributed in modified form, as long as it
   allows modified binary files, and files that are distributed along
   with the source for the express purpose of modifying the source.

2. The license may not restrict any party from selling or giving
   away the software, nor may it require a royalty or license fee.

3. The license must not discriminate against any person or group of
    persons unless their use would violate a law.

4. The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program
   in a specific field of endeavor where such use would not violate any
   law. For example, it may not restrict the program from being used in
   a business, or from being used for genetic research.

5. The program must include source code, and must allow distribution in
   source as well as binary form.

6. The rights attached to the program must apply to all to whom the
   program is redistributed without the need for execution of an
   additional license by those parties.

7. The rights attached to the program must not depend on the program's
   being part of a Debian system. If a person extracts the program from
   Debian and uses it or distributes it without Debian, that person and
   any people to whom the program is redistributed should have the same
   rights as those that are granted in conjunction with the Debian system.


	Thanks

	Bruce Perens
-- 
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