Re: is the Clearthought Software License free?

[Ben Finney <ben+debian@benfinney.id.au>]

Ben Finney <ben+debian@benfinney.id.au> writes:

> jochen georges <gnugeo@gnugeo.de> writes:
> 
> > i think, he just wants to avoid that there is "external" code under
> > his name "clearthought".
> 
> Perhaps that's his intention; I don't know. If so, I would think a
> better instrument for that intention is trademark, not copyright.

Note that it's quite acceptable for the license to require the derived
work be clearly *identified* as different, to avoid confusion; such
licenses as the GPL require this (GPLv2§2a) and result in free works.

Where I think this license crosses the threshold is in restricting how
the *work itself* may be modified and distributed, by restricting the
namespace identifiers that can be used *in the code* for the derived
work.

-- 
 \       “One seldom discovers a true believer that is worth knowing.” |
  `\                                                 —Henry L. Mencken |
_o__)                                                                  |
Ben Finney