PDFlib Lite vs. the gnuplot Copyright license

[Hans-Bernhard B. <br...@ph...>]

Gents, 

as part of my ongoing discussion by mail with the PDFLib people, I've just
found an issue that would quite certainly mean we can't distribute gnuplot
binaries with the PDF driver built in.  PDFLib Lite grants an exemption to
open-source projects, but *only* if they have their license formally
approved by the OSI (Open Source Initiative).  But the gnuplot license is
not approved by OSI, and I see no way whatsoever we can get it approved in
time for the imminent release.  For starters, they want us to supply an
analysis of our license done by an actual lawyer, for which I think we
have neither the time nor the money.

This means that for the time being, the open-source usage exemption of
PDFLib Lite doesn't apply to gnuplot.  The other exemptions are for
private or research usage, which we can't rely on for our public binaries.

It's also somewhat unclear what exactly PDFLib Lite wants us to include in
a binary built using their library.  Their licence is apparently written
with the idea of a shared library used by somebody else's program in mind.
It doesn't make any sense whatsoever in the context of a statically linked
gnuplot release having it compiled into its monolithic executable.

So, in a nutshell: no pdf.trm in any of the release binary packages!

-- 
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (br...@ph...)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.