Re: lynx-dev Re: Licensing Lynx (fwd)

[Klaus Weide]

On Sat, 25 Sep 1999, Brett Glass wrote:

> Do you have a list of the contributors whose code was integrated
> into the program?

A comprehensive list does not exist.  Comments scattered over a lot
of files plus the CHANGES files are the closest.

> Do they retain their own copyrights on their work,

Yes

> or is the work copyrighted by the project as a whole? (If the latter,
> we could license from the project, which would be easier.)

There is no formal "Lynx Project" entity that could serve in that role.

Speaking as one contributor, I certainly have not waived or transferred
any rights regarding my contributions to anybody, except for the rights
granted by the GPL.

Unfortunately for you, but not from my POV, what you are trying to do
is practically impossible.  You will either have to make your derived
code available under the GPL (if you distribute works derived from lynx
at all), or find some other code base with different conditions to build
from.  For the latter, the original CERN/W3C libwww code on which part of
lynx is based may qualify.

Consider also that some of those contributors may be employees of
one of one of your (present or future) competitors.  Consider also
that part of the lynx code is taken from other projects under the
GPL; I know for a fact that part of it is derived from portions of
the Linux kernel.  That is fine only as long as the derived code
remains under the same license.  You would also have to license from
those indirect contributors, or identify and rip out all such code.
For all practical purposes that is quite impossible.

If the lynx code is useful to you, I hope you can find a way to
profit from it in a way that does not depend on secrecy but on
open code so that all lynx users can benefit.

    Klaus