On Wed, 15 May 2002, Branden Robinson wrote: > I reassert: a sunset clause is DFSG free if the software is still DFSG > free before and after the date on the clause.
Agreed. However, the derivative work of X software linked to Y software may not be free even if X and Y are both free. This is true regardless of the sunset clause, and is the entire GPL/OpenSSL problem. It still exists unless the exemption is perpetual. Imagine software that is GPL, and has a time-limited additional right to distribute when linked with OpenSSL. The software itself is free. No question. It would be free under pure GPL, so it's free both before and after the sunset. The derivative work that is the software linked with OpenSSL is not free IMO. It has a license that expires. It's free before sunset, unlawful to distrubute after the exception expires. This makes sunset clauses where the post-expiry license is not a pure superset of the pre-expiry license quite problematic. It's certainly free, but only as long as the conditions of both licenses are followed. Unless I misunderstand how the sunset clause is expected to work, I don't see how it benefits anyone. -- Mark Rafn [EMAIL PROTECTED] <http://www.dagon.net/> -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
