Software License

[iplayfast]

I'm a mentor and thought that I would set up a subversion (version control software) system at sourceforge or possibly google. However one of the first questions you get asked at these free software supporting sites is what license is the software.

Of course being a programmer this is something that I take seriously as the license is what allows you to use the software in the first place. Normally when you are given software you do not become the owner, just the user. Same as a book's text. The right to copy the software still belongs to the copyright holder. The only exception to this is public domain.

I've looked in the default code and don't see any mention of a license at all, or who the original author was.

So what license is this software? Is it public domain?

[chris31]

Im not sure what the original code is licensed under. Any addition I do is generally under the GNU GPL. However, note that if you use Kevin Watsons code he does not like it posted online. Which means if you use a public SVN server like google or SF he doesnt want you posting it there.

[iplayfast]

Which is exactly the reason I asked. It would seem that GPL would be the most likely license for this stuff, since everyone keeps it open. But if a person doesn't want it, then using an online svn host to track revisions becomes impossible.

[Kevin Watson]

Originally Posted by iplayfast

Which is exactly the reason I asked. It would seem that GPL would be the most likely license for this stuff, since everyone keeps it open. But if a person doesn't want it, then using an online svn host to track revisions becomes impossible.

If you're referring to my code, I don't have a problem with you having it on your team's SVN server as long as it's only available to members of your team via the internet. If Google can't find it, I'm happy. There are only two things I care about: 1) that there is only one source for the code, and 2) that my code isn't used for commercial gain (believe it or not, this has/is happening now).

-Kevin

[jtdowney]

Originally Posted by iplayfast

Which is exactly the reason I asked. It would seem that GPL would be the most likely license for this stuff, since everyone keeps it open.

Code is only under the GPL if it is explicitly stated as such. Also the lack of a copyright notice does not mean it is public domain either. It would seem IFI's code (since it is not stated) is under copyright to them and they have no reason to legally flex their copyright as it is being use for what they intended.

[Astronouth7303]

Originally Posted by Kevin Watson

If you're referring to my code, I don't have a problem with you having it on your team's SVN server as long as it's only available to members of your team via the internet. If Google can't find it, I'm happy. There are only two things I care about: 1) that there is only one source for the code, and 2) that my code isn't used for commercial gain (believe it or not, this has/is happening now).

Would you be open to allowing distributing if, at the top of your files, there is:

• a notice of original authorship
• the location to find original source
• the location where this particular version is from
• a list of modifications made

In addition to the non-commercial restriction. Or is there some particular reason you want to be the sole provider?

If this is not acceptable, I would guess that you do not mind patches. I can not imagine any other way to distribute modifications.

Of course, I can not speak for the source code IFI provides.

GNU GPL is not usable in this instance because of the binary-only library IFI requires.