Hi all, This is to keep you informed of the state and status of the SMSQ/E source code.
The future licence-to-be has been a bit modified, notably to take into account the fact that test versions must be easily distributed. Here is the (still provisional) text. As usual, I invite all of you to comment. I have now received the source code from Tony Tebby, and, as soon as this licence is hammered out and I have had a chance to put everything in order, I'll start sending it out. I'm now taking orders�. Official statement ================== 1/ This software, called 'SMSQ/E', is copyright � Tony TEBBY. Any unauthorized copying or use of the software, whether in binary or source code form, and/or its documentation is prohibited. 2/ SMSQ/E will be made available, as source code only, to any person who so requests it. The request must be made to the "registrar", i.e. me. The source code will be sent via CD ROM, thus the request must be accompanied by 3 IRCs, else it will be ignored. The SMSQ/E that will be so made available is the SMSQ/E as it stands NOW. Any future changes/additions/modifications/adaptions to this code may, or may not, be excluded from the offcial release version, since the authors of such changes/additions/modifications/adaptions may state whether they want their source code to be included in the official distribution, or not. 3/ No distribution of SMSQ/E may be SOLD, except for the official distribution. This interdiction includes that of including and distributing SMSQ/E in Public domain libraries. Official distributions will be sold in compiled (binary) form, possibly together with the official distribution as source code. For such sales, for the time being, two distributors/resellers, namely Jochen MERZ (JMS) and Roy WOOD (QBRANCH) have been appointed by the copyright holder. Resellers provide support for the versions sold by them. Except by prior agreement, binary, i.e. compiled, versions of SMSQ/E may not be distributed other than through the distributors. 4/ The registrar, i.e. me, will maintain official distributions of SMSQ/E, in binary and source code form, one for each machine on which SMSQ/E may run. 5/ Any person may make any changes/additions/modifications/adaptions to the source code he feels like. Any person may give away to others the modification he thus made, including the official distribution in source code form only, provided this is made ENTIRELY FOR FREE - no charges, not even copying charges, or charges for the media on which this is distributed, may be levied. This distribution of the source code including the changes/additions/modifications/adaptions made by any author may not be made in electronic form other than on a physical disk. Distribution of the changes/additions may be in binary(compiled) form, provided that the original and/or official version of SMSQ/E, which is copyright � T.Tebby, is not distributed in binary form as well. 6/ Any changes/additions/modifications/adaptions may be proposed by their author(s) to the registrar for inclusion in the official distributions of SMSQ/E. The registrar is not obliged to inclue any proposed changes/additions/modifications/adaptions in official versions. When making such a proposal for inclusion, the author of the changes/additions/modifications/adaptions may state whether his contribution: - is to be distributed in the same way as the official version, or - is to be made only in the compiled (binary) form of the official distribution, or - is to be made alongside, but not included in, the official distribution. Failing such a statement, the inclusion will be contained in the compiled and the source code versions. By submitting code to the registrar, the author agrees to the limitations as set out herein. 7/Authors retain copyright over their changes/additions/modifications/adaptions, but when and by submitting them to the registrar, they explicitly agree that, if they are accepted in any official distribution (under the provisions hereof), they may be included in all other future distributions (in other words, you can't submit something, which is included, and then some months later attempt to withdraw it). By and when submitting proposed changes/additions/modifications/adaptions to the registrar, author(s) of such changes/additions/modifications/adaptions also agree that others may, in the future, bring about changes/additions/modifications/adaptions to the code of any changes/additions/modifications/adaptions such as submitted to the registrar. Copyright of the author(s) of any changes/additions/modifications/adaptions will be acknowledged in the official distribution. 8/ For testing purposes only, authors having made one or several changes/additions/modifications/adaptions of SMSQ/E may, as an exception to the prohibition of distributing code stemming from the official release version in binary form as mentioned above, give away binary version of their code, together with binary versions of SMSQ/E, to not more than 10 persons in total (whatever the number of test versions), provided that the persons receiving these test versions agree to destroy them: - after a period of 2 months, or - at the time the changes/additions/modifications/adaptions for the test version are included in the official release version, or - when they are notified by the author that a stable version is now available whatever comes first. 9/ A styleguide will be maintained by the registrar, to which any addition must adhere. The styleguide will be part of the official distribution End of official statement. ============================ Finally, I would like to add a personal note: I have been approached privately by persons finding this licence unfair, for two reasons which haven't been aired in this list yet: 1/ When a new author adds some code to make SMSQ/E better, only the resellers (and Tony Tebby) see some profit from it. 2/ Authors making additions etc are still prohibited from distributing binary versions of SMSQ/E, even for free. This, some argued, will stifle the development of SMSQ/E since no author will agree to that. I personally do not think that these arguments are really a hindrance to the future of SMSQ/E - the resellers provide support when selling the binary versions, hence they should get some money, and some restriction in the binary distribution is acceptable for that. We also want to avoid having too many unofficial versions floating around. As usual, all of your comments are appreciated. Wolfgang
