Re: need comments on a copyright clause.
Fabrizio:>
> Enrique Zanardi wrote:
> >
> > On Thu, 20 Nov 1997, Fabrizio Polacco wrote:
> >
> > > This seems to me to fail #9 of DFSG:
> > > > 9.License Must Not Contaminate Other Software
> > > >
> > > > The license must not place restrictions on other software that is
> > > > distributed along with the licensed software. For example, the
> > > > license must not insist that all other programs distributed on the
> > > > same medium must be free software.
> >
> > I think "is distributed along with" does not mean "uses" or
> > "is linked to". It refers to simple aggregation.
> > Perhaps the sentence "License Must Not Contaminate Other Software"
> > is a bit misleading though.
> >
> > As I read it, it's OK to place restrictions on other software that
> > uses "foo", but it's not OK to place restrictions on which software
> > may be on the same CD as "foo".
>
> Then, why the #9 doen't say
> > The license must not place restrictions on which other software (that)
> > is distributed along with the licensed software.
>
> instead it says:
> > The license must not place restrictions on other software
>
> Therefore it's _not_ OK to place restrictions on other software that
> uses "foo"
Perhaps it would be illuminating to compare this license to GPL.
GPL speaks of derived works and works based on this product. In
both cases it insists these be free. Or (in preamble):
: Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you
: have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for
: this service if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it
: if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it
: in new free programs; and that you know you can do these things.
I think there was recently a discussion about making a GPL program
a library and using it. IIRC the using program had to be GPL, since
it was considered derived (or based?) work. Is it true (Bruce, it
was you, I think)?
My interpretation from material presented so far is that this
license is no more restrictive than GPL for point 9. in DFSG.
Does it then qualify free.
t.aa
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