On Fri, Nov 30, 2007 at 12:27:32AM -0800, Matthew Dempsky wrote: > Dan Bernstein has placed qmail 1.03 into the public domain (see > http://cr.yp.to/qmail/dist.html).
Might be worthwhile reading this (from a US legal perspective at least): "Why the Public Domain Isn't a License" (Linux Journal) http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6225 >From the article: "...there is nothing that permits the dumping of copyrighted works into the public domain, except as happens in due course when any applicable copyrights expire. Until those copyrights expire, no mechanism is in the law by which an owner of software can simply elect to place it in the public domain." and "Unfortunately, such gifts are illusory. Under basic contract law, a gift cannot be enforced. The donor can retract his gift at any time, for any reason - scant security for someone intending to make long-term use of a piece of software."
