WOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! On Wed, 2002-03-27 at 11:34, Hubert Figuiere wrote: > ----- Forwarded message from [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- > > Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 18:52:06 -0600 (CST) > From: Abiword Mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: Link Grammar (fwd) > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > MIME-Version: 1.0 > Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII > Sender: Abiword Mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 18:51:42 -0600 (CST) > From: Jared Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: Link Grammar (fwd) > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 15:25:37 -0500 > From: David Temperley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Jared Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: John Lafferty <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: Link Grammar > > > Jared - > > Sorry for the ridiculously long delay in getting back to you. > > We've been discussing the whole licensing issue. It looks like we're now > going to switch over to a totally free license, so that the code can be > used free-of-charge by anybody for anything (as long as they acknowledge > us). We'll make this official when we release the next version (which > we're hoping will be fairly soon). So, you should be able to use the > parser in your AbiWord project. > > Davy > > On Fri, 1 Mar 2002, Jared Davis wrote: > > > Hello, > > > > I am writing to you on behalf of the AbiWord project. AbiWord is a Free word > > processor developed completely by volunteers. Our web site address is: > > http://www.abiword.org/ > > > > Recently, we have been looking into adding a grammar checker to AbiWord. In > > our searching, we found your Link Grammar. Needless to say, your API is > > beautiful and would be easy to integrate with our project. There has been > > some real excitement over the idea that we might be able to add grammar > > checking so easily. > > > > We are, however, somewhat confused about all of the licensing issues that > > would result from this. I am, therefore, writing to you to see if we can > > come to some sort of an agreement that will work out for everyone. > > > > AbiWord is released under the GNU General Public License, and as a > > consequence we have a bit of a problem. The README.txt which > > accompanies your Link Grammar states: > > > > "We feel that our system (or a derivative of it) could be useful in a > > number of commercial applications. We would be pleased to discuss > > terms with those wanting to use our system in this way. Without an > > explicit agreement with the authors (listed below) such use is > > forbidden. By "commercial use" we mean selling a product or service." > > > > While the AbiWord project itself does not sell any product or service, our > > license allows others to modify AbiWord and even verbatim copies so long > > as their changes are released under the same license. As an example, > > Red Hat Linux (www.redhat.com) includes AbiWord on their CDs which are > > sold in stores. > > > > So, as far as we can tell, the inclusion of the Link Grammar in AbiWord would > > prevent Red Hat and others from doing this sort of thing. Unfortunately, the > > GPL requires that they have this freedom, so we cannot legally include the > > Link Grammar in AbiWord. > > > > However, if you would be willing, maybe a small change in the licensing of > > the Link Grammar would be enough to allow us to integrate it with AbiWord. > > In particular, a clause that explicitly permits using the Link Grammar > > without restriction in GPL software would solve all of these problems. > > > > This would not be a terribly unusual license. For example, TrollTech > > (www.trolltech.com) has a GUI toolkit called QT, which they sell to > > commercial development firms while maintaining a free version for GPL > > programs. Their toolkit has become the basis for a large body of software in > > the Free Software community, and is still making them a profit in the > > commercial arena. > > > > I understand that this is asking a lot, and the fear would probably be that > > potential customers would not purchase the link grammar. However, there may > > be advantages to consider as well. In particular, if AbiWord were able to > > use your Link Grammar, you would have a great example to show to any > > commercial developers who are interested in using it. > > > > For your reference, the complete text of the GNU General Public License is > > available from the GNU web site: > > http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html > > > > Thank you very much for your time, I look forward to working with you on this. > > > > Jared Davis > > > > -- > > Jared Davis > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Love all, serve all. > > > > > > > ----- End forwarded message -----
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