Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 11:47:57 -0700 From: Seth Leigh <seth@pengar.com> To: freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Cc: lepreau@cs.utah.edu Subject: Not so sinister. Was:(Re: Attempt to relicense BSD code under the GPL) Message-ID: <l03110705b2ca7fabd912@[192.168.0.2]>
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Hey, guys, let's simmer down a little. I just talked to Jay Lepreau over email about this. He is the guy whom Brett Glass mentioned should be emailed about this. Apparently there has been a misunderstanding. In fact, Jay just emailed me saying that he had reread his license page, and now understands where we are coming from. He said he will add some info to clarify this to the license page. Only the stuff that THEY have done (THEY = the U of Utah CS folks whose project web page we are talking about) is under the GPL. They are not attempting to relicense stuff they have used from other, BSD-licensed sources. The original licenses for those individual components still apply. However, Jay told me that as their project is a whole source code framework, and the code that they have written themselves is GPLed, then someone will have a hard time using their whole framework without the final work being under GPL. If you wanted to write a project that only included those components the Utah guys are using that are under BSD license, for example, you could do it and not be GPL, but what would be the point, as you could get those BSD-licensed components from other sources. It's only if you want to use their whole framework that you get stuck with the GPL. Since this framework is their own project, they have the right to impose whatever license they choose for it. This isn't to say I agree with them using the GPL. I am no expert on the subject, but I will frankly admit that the whole GPL thing leaves an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I am a programmer, I have a pretty decent standard of living, and I think that probably all or most of the companies I have worked for could not have paid me the money I have earned if their products were all bound by the GPL. However, this whole controversy of "Attempt to relicense BSD code under the GPL" is nothing but a big misunderstanding. Which leads me to my last point. When I emailed Jay Lepreau, I tried to come across as wanting an answer, but not to attack him, flame him, or anything else. He replied that mine was one of the few polite emails on this subject, implying that he had received a lot more total flame letters. That's shameful, and I hope that none on this list were involved. The last thing FreeBSD needs is a bunch of people thinking we are nothing but a bunch of asshole zealots. Please, there are enough asshole zealots out there, let's not let the whole world think FreeBSD fans are among them. Plus, now that the truth about this "controversy" is known, don't you feel just a little bit foolish for the flame emails ? Seth Leigh To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message
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