Re: ITP: xengine
On 31 May 1999, Ben Pfaff wrote:
> Remco Blaakmeer <remco-blaakmeer@quicknet.nl> writes:
>
> On Mon, 31 May 1999, Kenshi Muto wrote:
>
> > License: == from README ==
> >
> > Author: Kazuhiko Shutoh
> >
> > Permission to use, copy, modify and distribute without charge this
> > software, documentation, images, etc. is granted, provided that this
> > comment and the author's name is retained. The author assumes no
> > responsibility for lost sleep as a consequence of use of this software.
>
> Since redistribution is allowed without charge only, this will have to go
> into non-free, IMHO.
>
> *sigh*. This comes up about once a week now. The statement above,
> and similar, are generally interpreted that there is no charge to
> distribute it, not that you must not charge for it.
>
> For instance, the following copyright applies to gxditview in groff,
> which is in main:
>
> * Copyright 1991 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
> *
> * Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software and its
> * documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that
> * the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that
> * copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting
> * documentation, and that the name of M.I.T. not be used in advertising or
> * publicity pertaining to distribution of the software without specific,
> * written prior permission. M.I.T. makes no representations about the
> * suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is"
> * without express or implied warranty.
> [...]
I disagree.
In the license I quoted, you are granted the premission "to use, copy,
modify and distribute without charge" the software. It doesn't say
anything about selling the software. Therefore, you are not allowed to do
so.
In the license you quoted, you are granted the permission "to use, copy,
modify, distribute, and sell" the software. This permission is granted to
you "without fee". Here, you are explicitly allowed to sell the software.
If a license doesn't explicitly allow you to sell the software, it isn't
allowed. It's as simple as that.
Remco
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