Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999 21:21:25 +0000 (GMT) From: Terry Lambert <tlambert@primenet.com> To: brett@lariat.org (Brett Glass) Cc: chat@FreeBSD.ORG, jkh@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Attempt to relicense BSD code under the GPL Message-ID: <199901182121.OAA01705@usr05.primenet.com> In-Reply-To: <4.1.19990118092136.0465ede0@mail.lariat.org> from "Brett Glass" at Jan 18, 99 09:32:12 am
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> This is not only absurd (because the GPL *is* a barrier to OS > R&D) but also illegal, because it conflicts with the licensing > provisions of the BSD code which has been incorporated into the > package. The conflict is an artifact of the GPL, not of the BSD license. In fact, it's possible to "copyleft" BSD licensed code, as has been demonstrated by the Sendmail and BSD DB code with the sendmail license and the "sleepycat" license, respectively. > P.S. -- Perhaps it is time to add a clause to the BSD license used > in FreeBSD specifically prohibiting relicensing of that code, or > derivative works, under the GPL. I've previously suggested adding a "poison pill", either like the SSLeay license immutability clause (which would be onerous to a number of potential commercial uses of the code -- a bad thing), or a less restrictive: 5. This software and derivative works thereof are prohibited from being licensed under terms that require the distribution of the source code for this software or derivative works thereof. This *really* needs consideration by Jordan and others in charge of the licensing. Terry Lambert terry@lambert.org --- Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present or previous employers. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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