Manolo Fredricks wrote:
[ ... ]
If I make modifications to FreeBSD and then distribute it (the modified
FreeBSD) to others:
Note that the details depend upon what part of FreeBSD you change, but the two
general licenses are /COPYRIGHT (aka the "new" or "modified" BSD license) and
the GPL (/usr/src/gnu/COPYING and too many others).
1. Must I provide the source code or can I choose not to?
BSD: no, GPL: yes, but see clause 3c:
c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer
to distribute corresponding source code. (This alternative is
allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you
received the program in object code or executable form with such
an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.)
If you don't change the GPL'ed components of a FreeBSD release, you are allowed
to point people back to the corresponding FreeBSD release sources. In other
words, you can set up a shrinkwrapped appliance using third-party code and not
have to provide the source code to your specific application.
You might want to consider the Nokia firewall boxes as an example.
2. Must I license it under the FreeBSD license?
The existing code already is under the BSD or GPL licenses. You can modify the
code according to those licenses, and you can modify the code or combine it
with external code which may result in the creation of a derivative work.
3. Can I license it under my own terms/license? If so, must I reproduce the
FreeBSD copyright notice and the disclaimer and if so, where?
You would probably need to talk to a laywer if you want to relicense the
FreeBSD codebase, and I'm not one.
Out of curiosity, what would be the terms of your license?
(If you're not willing to answer publicly, OK, but see above.)
4. Who owns the copyright to my modifications, me or FreeBSD?
You do. [1]
5. Must I contribute my modifications back to the FreeBSD project or can I
choose not to?
Nope-- you have the right to make private modifications of BSD code and
redistribute them, or choose not to. For GPL code, see clause 3 a-c.
Appreciate your feedback.
Sure. Have fun,
--
-Chuck
[1] This is assuming your changes are significant enough to merit copyright
protection in their own right; trivial changes like one-line patches, etc would
not....
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