Re: do DFSG require that derived works use the original licence?
On Mon, Nov 22, 2010 at 09:15:52PM +0100, Lukas Baxa wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I went through the Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG) and I have
> a question to point number 3 - Derived works - which states:
>
> # The license must allow modifications and derived works, and must allow
> # them to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the
> # original software.
>
> If I understand it correctly, it must be allowed by the original licence
> that the license of the derived work is identical (or almost identical).
> But it is not required that the licence remains unchanged, it might be
> different.
>
> However, the description of free software referenced on the main website
> of debian (http://www.debian.org/intro/free) contains following:
>
> ...
> # Authors of free software on the other hand are generally looking for
> # some combination of the following:
> #
> # - Not allowing use of their code in proprietary software. Since they
> # are releasing their code for all to use, they don't want to see
> # others steal it. In this case, use of the code is seen as a trust:
> # you may use it, as long as you play by the same rules.
> ...
> # - Forcing any work that includes part of their work (such works are
> # called derived works in copyright discussions) to use the same
> # license.
> ...
>
> As far as I know, GPL requires it. But it seems to me that DFSG do not.
> Does it mean that it would be possible to include software in Debian
> that could be derived and licensed otherwise than the original
> software?
Yes.
> And does it mean that such derived software might even be a proprietary
> software?
>
> Lukas
Yes.
By example:
http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/main/p/postgresql-9.0/postgresql-9.0_9.0.1-2/postgresql-9.0.copyright
--
Josué M. Abarca S.
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