Re: Maxmind GeoIP/Geolite license change
Hi,
I have added Greg from Maxmind: please forward it if you are not the
correct contact for it.
Am 03.01.2020 um 18:32 schrieb Florian Weimer:
> * Patrick Matthäi:
>
>> [1]: https://www.maxmind.com/en/geolite2/eula
> | 3. Destructions of GeoLite2 Database and GeoLite2 Data. From time to
> | time, MaxMind will release an updated version of the GeoLite2
> | Databases, and you agree to promptly use the updated version of the
> | GeoLite2 Databases. You shall cease use of and destroy (i) any old
> | versions of the Services within thirty (30) days following the
> | release of the updated GeoLite2 Databases; and (ii) all Services
> | immediately upon termination of the license under this
> | Agreement. Upon request, you shall provide MaxMind with written
> | confirmation of such destruction.
>
> That looks thoroughly non-free to me, and it is also highly
> impractical. It appears to be the intent that this clause overrides
> the permissions normally afforded by the CC-BY-SA license.
And I think you mean non-free as in "not distributable at all", not like
a candidate for Debians unoffical non-free repository? Because of this
clause I also would say that we are not allowed to distribute it.
So if we are not allowed to distribute it anymore we have got the
following options:
1) we keep the the current free database in our repository, which is
free and works. We dont care about the precision after X years (not our
fault)
2) we drop the database package. Also if it is something like contrib,
but if there is no free working alternative, shouldnt we (as in Debian
as open source community) then also remove all libraries and
implementations using GeoIP from Maxmind from our repositories? That are
plenty of packages with quite high popcon, like bind9, apache, nginx,
nearly everthing.. The technical way would be something I would dicuss
on debian-devel@, but from the -legal view I would recommend removing
geoip support at all is a better legal choice as implementing APIs and
modules relying on realy non-free stuff, what do you think?
This would be definitly the death of geoip solutions at all in the
future in my opionion. (but it is not my choice)
3) We/others/I and others start a fork: I would welcome volunters to
start a fork to maintain the database, so that it is not useless in a
few years, but this is also one of my last options. I would like to have
a solution with Maxmind together.
So @Maxmind:
a) Correct me if I am wrong, but you care abot a california law which
states that you are not allowed to sell/provide california data: This
only applies on your city database, not on your country database
b) I am not bounded against any US or california law, but I - with my
geoip Debian hut on - wouldnt have any problem with providing an
open-source free geolite country database, where all US california IPs
are removed before. Did you considered that, providing this for your
paid services?
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