On Thu, 08 Jun 2006 20:40:09 +0200 Henning Makholm wrote:
Scripsit Roger Leigh [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Is the IBM Common Public Licence version 1.0 (below) considered
DFSG-free?
We have software under this licence in main already, notably postfix
and graphviz. The license has been discussed explicitly on
debian-legal at least once [1] and no flaws big enough to cause it to
be considered non-free were discovered.
[1] http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2005/01/msg00297.html
For my attempt to summarize the 2005 discussion, see
http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2005/01/msg00847.html
Wait!
I re-read that thread and then reviewed the license text.
I think I spotted a pair of issues that weren't noticed back in January
2005...
Firstoff, the CPL states (at the end of section 3.):
| Each Contributor must identify itself as the originator of its
| Contribution, if any, in a manner that reasonably allows subsequent
| Recipients to identify the originator of the Contribution.
Does this mean that a Contributor is required to disclose his/her own
real identity in order to exercise the rights granted by the license?
I mean: may I be an anonymous Contributor?
Being forced to disclose my own real identity is a significant
restriction: it would render software under the CPL non-free (because
it's a fee, see DFSG#1).
Secondly, the last two sentences of the license are:
| No party to this Agreement will bring a legal action under this
| Agreement more than one year after the cause of action arose. Each
| party waives its rights to a jury trial in any resulting litigation.
Why cannot I bring a legal action more than one year after the cause of
action?
This could mean that an infringer will practically become statute-barred
after one year, even if the applicable laws say otherwise.
I don't see this as fair...
Moreover and more concerning: why am I required to waive my rights to a
jury trial in any resulting litigation?
This seems to be a sort of fee (DFSG#1).
The patent self-destruct feature of the license is quite restrained
and is within what we generally consider fair self-defense.
I agree.
--
:-( This Universe is buggy! Where's the Creator's BTS? ;-)
..
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