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Re: [DotGNU]Licenses
From: |
Gopal V |
Subject: |
Re: [DotGNU]Licenses |
Date: |
Sat, 22 Jun 2002 21:21:17 +0530 |
User-agent: |
Mutt/1.2.5i |
If memory serves me right, Daniel Carrera wrote:
> I have a question about law. I need some help understanding licenses.
> Understanding this will help me know when licenses are being broken.
(Eventhough this might be better answered on gnu.misc.discuss , I will
however provide a general explanation and end this thread... and IMO a
decent readthrough of the gnu.org licenses section/FAQ should answer
these)
> A project might start using the X11 license and then switch to the LGPL.
> How can that be? How can you add or take aways restrictions afterwards?
This cannot be applied to the released binary/code if the license does
not specify a volatile clause .. This "this license is liable to change"
clause can be used to relicense already distributed binaries/code ...
This is possible only because the user does not own the binary , but
is merely licensed by a one ended license agreement which can be withdrawn
with or without explicit cause .. Which obviously goes to prove that
the WinME that John Doe bought with precious $$$ , can be considered
illegal if MSFT does not like Mrs John Doe's new hairstyle and decides
to withdraw license ;-) ... you might see Win9x being declared illegal
soon and everyone forced to buy *new* and *slower* version (a step
which is legally enforcable ....) or use GNU !
For non volatile or "Safe" licenses like GPL, LGPL , X11 existing code
base cannot be relicensed ... only further releases can be relicensed .
See PHP4 & PHP3 licenses for this situation, where the latter is still
available under the original license.
> 2) If I hold the copyright to a pice of software. Say it's GPL.
> Do I have the right to give that software to someone under a different
> license? If so, that is a potential hamper on freedom.
Right to relicense ?. Yes , you do have that "Freedom" .. It however
is hoped that you won't misuse this freedom ... (It is a "Freedom" of
the little guy who slaved to write the code ...)
Gopal
--
The difference between insanity and genius is measured by success