Re: Summary : ocaml, QPL and the DFSG.
On Tue, Jul 20, 2004 at 07:44:58PM -0400, Michael Poole wrote:
> Matthew Palmer writes:
>
> > Having slept on it, I've decided that in the specific case of the QPL, this
> > particular situation is not a problem for Debian, but ONLY because we can
> > avoid the whole issue by making the items in question available to the general public (which we do).
>
> The QPL doesn't release you from the obligation to provide changes to
> the author if you have since stopped distributing the software (for
> whatever reason). That clause applies to *any* time at which the code
> is not available to the general public. It would be plausible for an
> SCO or Microsoft to demand that a Debian package maintainer provide a
> three-year-old version of a package because Debian users downloaded
> that modified version.
An excellent point, and well made. Thankyou for reminding me of this.
My objection to this clause is re-established.
> [snip]
> > We're taking a similar path with the GPL, anyway -- the non-freeness of 3b
> > and 3c is OK because we're distributing under 3a. By analogy, the
> > non-freeness of compelled unrelated distribution of linked items is OK(ish)
> > because we're taking the "publically available" route.
>
> The GPL is qualitatively different because it bounds the time during
> which you must act to comply with the license: Either immediately, if
> you make the source code available at time of transfer, or for the
> next three years, if you only make the binary code available. The QPL
> obligations do not terminate.
Ayup. I had these vague feelings that the GPL and QPL situations weren't
entirely comparable; I think the timeframe issue was what it was (either
that or the Quesadilla I had last night <grin>).
> It may also be qualitatively different because the upstream author
> gets a symmetric license and cannot compel downstream modifiers to
> provide changes; but that is a different discussion.
I think you meant asymmetric, but yes, that is a different discussion. I
tried to ensure that it was understood that my change in reasoning was only
related to 6c; I still think that the asymmetric licence problem, as well as
the choice of venue, are problematic. And, with your excellent reminder, I
now think 6c is a problem again too.
- Matt
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