Hi,
here's a first licence proposal: GPL (or for some parts maybe LGPL) plus
the following exception:
----- SNIP! -----
As a special exception, you may distribute integrated combinations
of FreeCard in executable form with the your files of text and
images to be displayed using FreeCard under your choice of
license, provided that the license does not permit extraction of
the FreeCard executable from the combination other than in accord
with the terms of the GNU General Public License, that if you make
any changes to the FreeCard application's source code you make the complete
corresponding source code for FreeCard openly available
on a widely used network until at least a year after you last distribute
the combination, and that you include information specifying the
precise location of the source code visibly either in or with the
combination.
----- SNIP END! -----
This may sound harsh at first, but here's why we chose it this way:
1) We want scripters to be able to freely distribute their precious stacks
as standalones just like HC does. To allow merging a stack with the
standalone without forcing the stack to become GPL, too, the first part of
the exception is needed
2) If we don't require making the sources available, our favorite fictional
company Micro$loth could modify the FreeCard sources, create their own
editing environment stacks (not as much work as coming up with the engine)
and compile these into a standalone. Now they'd be able to sell it as a
closed product.
3) Thus, we require any changes to the FreeCard sources to be made publicly
available. Which will make hijacking it no longer interesting to them.
Also, if a user changes the sources to add a bug fix, he/she can simply
send it to us and we will add it (we could file out quick permissions to
apply a bug fix if they need it faster than we can check it in). If they
don't want to send it, we'll very likely not want them to use FreeCard
anyway (If they get some, they gotta be ready to give some back, right?).
So far this sounds like a good direction to take. Does anyone have an
objection (possible loopholes, pitfalls, awkwardnesses)?
Cheers,
-- M. Uli Kusterer
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