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Re: Doubts regarding the GPLv(2,3) compatibility of libpcap



Joerg Mayer wrote:
Hello List,

I've some doubts whether it is OK to distribute binaries of GPL programs
linked against libpcap. Being one of the Wireshark (nee Ethereal)
authors that's something I'd like to hear some (hopefully well founded)
opinions on.

While the main license file says it's 3 clause BSD, some of the files
are covered (inside) with a 4 clause bsd license. Some of these files
are covered by the 4-clause license from the University of california,
who waived the 4th clause some years ago but some files contain the
following text:

--------------------------------------------------------------------
 * Copyright (c) 1997 Yen Yen Lim and North Dakota State University
 * All rights reserved.
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
 * are met:
 * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
 *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
 * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
 *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
 *    documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
 * 3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software
 *    must display the following acknowledgement:
 *      This product includes software developed by Yen Yen Lim and
        North Dakota State University
 * 4. The name of the author may not be used to endorse or promote products
 *    derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

I think the FSF juge that this license is not compatible. Personally I have difficulties to understand why does it not fall with the points b and c (par 7) of GPLv3

# b) Requiring preservation of specified reasonable legal notices or author attributions in that material or in the Appropriate Legal Notices displayed by works containing it; or # c) Prohibiting misrepresentation of the origin of that material, or requiring that modified versions of such material be marked in reasonable ways as different from the original version; or

Olive



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