It is fine to use OpenSSL as long as the instructions IN that license are
followed, note:
"...All advertising materials mentioning features ..."
That is pretty broad. Basically, if your commercial application has a
spec sheet or other sheet that is distributed as part of an advertisement
of the product (available on the website for download, or whatever) that
lists a line item of a feature that your software has which is dependent on
use of OpenSSL, you must follow the:
"This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project
for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit. (http://www.openssl.org/)"
restriction, PLUS:
"This product includes cryptographic software written by
* Eric Young ([EMAIL PROTECTED])"
* The word 'cryptographic' can be left out if the rouines from the
library
* being used are not cryptographic related :-).
* 4. If you include any Windows specific code (or a derivative thereof)
from
* the apps directory (application code) you must include an
acknowledgement:
* "This product includes software written by Tim Hudson
([EMAIL PROTECTED])"
those restrictions as well.
Make sure your marketing people are informed, and make sure that your
company lawyer impresses on your director of marketing the importance
of following the license, regardless of their own opinions of how
"cluttered"
these additions make a particular piece of advertising.
It's a pretty easy set of instructions to follow in the license, IMHO. The
problem you run into is these stupid graphic artists that companies seem
to employ who create a lot of marketing slicks, and care mostly about
getting a particular "look" in the slick, and don't give a damn about
anything
else.
Ted
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Alan Wolfe
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 4:46 PM
To: openssl-users@openssl.org
Subject: commercial OpenSSL use
Hi!
I'm making a commercial application for windows which uses libcurl.
This build of libcurl I'm usings links to both zlib and openssl.
I know libcurl and zlib themselves are fine for us to use commercially but
OpenSSL seemed a little more grey.
It seems like it's ok to use OpenSSL commercially so long as this file is
included along with the application:
http://www.openssl.org/source/license.html
would that be correct?
Thanks so much!
Alan
