Re: ITP: xengine

[Atsuhito Kohda <kohda@pm.tokushima-u.ac.jp>]

Hi all, thanks everyone who commented on this issue.

It is difficult for us Japanese to argue in English but
I have some questions.

From: Remco Blaakmeer <remco-blaakmeer@quicknet.nl>
Subject: Re: ITP: xengine
Date: Wed, 2 Jun 1999 00:07:27 +0200 (CEST)

   > 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.

> 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.

> If a license doesn't explicitly allow you to sell the software, it isn't
> allowed. It's as simple as that.

I can understand what you say. 

- But as you can see, the copyright only shows the fundamental and
  rough intention of the author. It does not show strict conditions
  on every situations like GPL. The programmer is not lawyer in general.

- The copyright allows the distribution without charge explicitly but
  doesn't say anything about selling the software as you pointed out.
  So at least from the logical poit of view, it can not be concluded
  that it prohibits the distribution with charge.

- There are some ambiguities in the copyright, I agree. But it
  is the author who can determine whether it is allowed or not
  to sell the software.

- And we have the permission of the author.

Is it not enough for Debian ?

Thanks in advance,		1999.6.2

--
 Debian JP Developer - much more I18N of Debian
 Atsuhito Kohda <kohda@pm.tokushima-u.ac.jp>
 Department of Math., Tokushima Univ.