Re: BURT license

[Richard Braakman <dark@xs4all.nl>]

Paolo Didonč wrote:
> 
> I'm packaging a backup tool (Burt: downloaded from
> http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~jmelski/burt/)
> 
> But i'm not sure if following part of license is DFSG (1. Free
> Redistribution) compliant:
> 
> 
>   A reasonable copying fee may be charged for any distribution of
>   this software, but no fee may be charged for the software itself.
> 
> 
> I don't like much, but author wrote that GPL is not clear about this so
> he prefer say it explicitly.

Is he aware that he contradicts the GPL on this point?  The GPL is careful
to allow distribution at any price.  The FSF has used this for years to
collect donations by selling tapes.

I don't understand what he means with "but no fee may be charged for the
software itself", though.  What action does this refer to?  Can you give
an example of something that would be forbidden by this sentence?

We've always considered such licenses non-free, by the way.  CD vendors
should not have to worry about what each author considers "reasonable".

Richard Braakman