Re: AT&T Open Source License

[cjw44@flatline.org.uk (Colin Watson)]

Jun Yan <jyan@stat.wisc.edu> wrote:
>I am interested becoming a new maintainer and packaging ggobi,a data
>visualization system for high-dimensional data. Its license indicates the
>following:
>
>              Package                          License
>          stand-alone ggobi              AT&T Open Source License
>          embeddable ggobi library       AT&T Open Source License
>
>I am not sure if this liciense is DFSG compliant. Can someone take a look
>at http://www.ggobi.org/license.html? or, there are probabily other AT&T
>precedents discusses here already.

     YOUR OBLIGATIONS
    2. If you distribute Build Materials (including if you are required
       to do so pursuant to this Agreement), you shall ensure that the
       recipient enters into and duly accepts a written agreement with
       you which includes the minimum terms set forth in Appendix A
       (completed to indicate you as the LICENSOR) and no other
       provisions which, in AT&T's opinion, conflict with your
       obligations under, or the intent of, this Agreement. The agreement
       required under this Section 4.2 may be in electronic form.

Since Debian distributes source code, requiring everybody who downloads
it to sign an agreement is rather onerous (DFSG 7, "Distribution of
License"). There's also stuff about not framing AT&T's website and
monitoring the website for patent infringement notices, none of which
really belongs in a DFSG-free licence.

-- 
Colin Watson                                     [cjw44@flatline.org.uk]