Hullo List,
For a scientific computing project, I'd like to encourage redistribution
of software upon publication of research results (e.g. academic
journals) by third parties using our code. I'm not currently aware of
any license geared toward this scenario. (There are lots of examples of
academic journals requiring this, but I'm having a difficult time
tracking down a license for /code/ that is generally used to inform an
academic publication. More specifically, the sub-sub discipline for
which the code I have written will potentially be used currently does
not run rich with a FOSS ethos.)
As an example, if we license our code under the GPL, then folks who
publish papers with results from use of our software are never
redistributing any /software/, only publishing a paper, and are thus not
required to share code. However, we feel from a scientific standpoint
that it's crucial that the code (*and* data) used for publication
results be shared.
The closest I've been able to find is the EPPA license, which has this
as provision 6 (currently available from:
http://globalchange.mit.edu/research/IGSM/eppadl_form ):
-----
6. Any party which publishes results from a modification of the Software
Model must also publish the source code of their modifications, in the
same form as the Software Model is here released, and under the same
license terms. Said party must cause the modified files to carry
prominent notices stating that the files were changed and the date of
the change.
-----
Unfortunately, there are other parts of the license which are not
acceptable to us (e.g. we do not want to limit non-academic use)
So, are there other licenses geared toward code (and data) used for
academic publications?
Also, in the case that there are no other licenses acceptable/available
to us, a second, meta-license question: How are the texts of the various
OSI approved licenses themselves licensed? Are they free for folks to
modify? (Perhaps to be described as a 'modified-OSI license' when used
...?)
Also, please, I'm not looking for responses along the lines of "you
can't enforce it so ignore it." I'm very specifically focused on the
licensing aspect. (As they say, "One problem at a time!")
Thank you,
Kevin
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