From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Mar 23 22:04:03 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4149D106566B for ; Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:04:03 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from m.e.sanliturk@gmail.com) Received: from mail-fx0-f226.google.com (mail-fx0-f226.google.com [209.85.220.226]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B222A8FC12 for ; Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:04:02 +0000 (UTC) Received: by fxm26 with SMTP id 26so4700485fxm.35 for ; Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:04:01 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:received:in-reply-to:references :date:message-id:subject:from:to:cc:content-type; bh=E2F3h6psGQHHbmBzkkx5inCSgtQEO+I33gkZZ8+HhRc=; b=BZLa9KkZExUMsQxsUNebb4t+i+o8VgOuJni+ijbDi19XiClQUxv8b0AMGzD0WBMcEV bG7qWC+36lITvyquAmVI2vrwYJ84CT51jeGvmXKpZ3UAgohXmp/0m21zRf8+rBkYcstv ciCCPCDh7hOn8IVML7T6RRzJ03Eqf80mR05zA= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :cc:content-type; b=ZB69DkxgqjZRLpPRDsdz6NUtYxFtVwAF6nMVOGKrFluWPBtbo4mdC0FgwBHeA2Ryiq bfpDH/NuOHA2vWKbvPH5FY7Q8S3jkNQURPaK5WAFrsbusxm8G31iJEfOId9nueh8AClc vmd/+BrgYS0dY7HwahNRcuJUzU2Hbb5gn0soo= MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.239.182.5 with SMTP id o5mr136832hbg.160.1269380339594; Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:38:59 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: References: Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:38:59 -0400 Message-ID: From: Mehmet Erol Sanliturk To: jeguelf5@rockwellcollins.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5 Cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Free BSD Licensing X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:04:03 -0000 On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 10:40 AM, wrote: > Free BSD representative, > > I am inquiring if Free BSD is installable under the The GNU General Publi= c > License (short: GNU GPL or simply GPL)? Need to verify that for the > requester of this software as coming through our subcontracts division. > > > Jack Guelff > Subcontracts Administrator > Software and Intellectual Property Licensing > Office: (319) 263-0985 > Fax: (319) 295-2075 > jeguelf5@rockwellcollins.com > ____________________________ I am NOT a lawyer , therefore my views can not be considered a legal advice . I think , your best action would be to ask to a lawyer ( being expert on copyright and licensing issues ) for legal issues of such a question to be answered properly . If you consider GPL , its most important requirement is that when a GPL licensed software is distributed to others , the source is also should be supplied with respect to GPL license rules . A BSD licensed software can be used in ANY WAY without removing its license and copyright terms . If you study http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#CombinePublicDomainWithGPL http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#OrigBSD you will see that it is not possible to combine each free and permissive licensed software with a GPL licensed software . Therefore , for FreeBSD , it is necessary to review each file with respect to GPL combination . Another point is that GPL license can cover only USED parts within a GPL licensed software . If FreeBSD is not , let=C2=B4s say , called by , or lin= ked into a GPL licensed software , it will NOT be GPL license covered . It is obvious that any software with its own license terms can NOT be re-licensed as GPL licensed software , at least because GPL can NOT remove its own license , but it can or can not be utilized within a GPL licensed software = . As a result , my opinion is that FreeBSD can NOT be re-licensed as a GPL licensed software as a whole . In reality , this is not necessary also because FreeBSD sources are open to public through its source repositories = . Thank you very much . Mehmet Erol Sanliturk