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. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [email protected] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [email protected] Archive: http://lists.debian.org/[email protected]
