Andy Tai
Mon, 11 Mar 2002 20:05:11 -0800
While this license probably is open source, it is misnamed (by using the term "BSD" in its name). It is not a BSD license because it does NOT always "permit improvements to be used wherever they will help, without idealogical or metallic constraint." For example, it does not allow the use of such code in GPLed software.
The spirit of BSD is to allow the code to be used by anyone, for virtually any purpose. For example, Bill Gates can use the code in proprietary software, and Linus Torvalds can use the code in GPLed software. This BSD Protection license carries extra constraints that limit the freedom of other people to use such code. It is not BSD, although Craig Mundie would love it. "Anti-GPL" is not the spirit of BSD. (One could even say this license is not open source because it discriminates against people doing GPL development, but this argument may not be very strong.) --- Colin Percival <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > [ Please discuss this license. Is he reinventing > the LGPL? ] > > I submit for your consideration the "BSD > Protection License", as found > at > http://web.comlab.ox.ac.uk/oucl/work/colin.percival/source/BSDPL.html > (A plaintext version can be found by s/html/txt/ > on the URL.) > > Feel free to redistribute this as relevant (eg to > license-discuss); I > have no desire to remain anonymous (and the URL > would identify me anyway). > > The included preamble should clarify the purpose > of this license, but to > summarize briefly, this license has a GPL flavour > and a BSD spirit, and > exists in order to allow closed source use of > licensed code, while > "protecting" the code from having that freedom > removed. > > Colin Percival > > -- > license-discuss archive is at http://crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email! http://mail.yahoo.com/ -- license-discuss archive is at http://crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3