Re: [Lcd4linux-devel] lcd4linux licensing issue

[Luk C. <in...@us...>]

Michael Reinelt wrote:
> Hi Folks, especially Luk,

Hi

> Luk, as you're a debian maintainer, and as debian seems to be very 
> pedantic about licensing, I hope you can answer her (or at least know 
> someone who can).

I can surely try ;-)

> The files are evaluator.c and .h
> The code based on something I found in the net, but was heavily modified 
> by me (the original code could only handle numeric values, for example, 
> and I did add lots of new levels and expressions.)
> 
> 
> The original copyright statement reads:
> 
> /*************************************************************************** 
> 
> **    ** EE.C         Expression Evaluator        **
> ** AUTHOR:      Mark Morley   ** COPYRIGHT:   (c) 1992 by Mark Morley 
>      ** DATE:        December 1991        **
> ** HISTORY:     Jan 1992 - Made it squash all command line arguments   
> **                         into one big long string.
> **                       - It now can set/get VMS symbols as if they
> **                         were variables.
> **                       - Changed max variable name length from 5 to
> **              Jun 1992 - Updated comments and docs                     **
> **
> ** You are free to incorporate this code into your own works, even if it 
> ** is a commercial application.  However, you may not charge anyone else 
> ** for the use of this code!  If you intend to distribute your code,  ** 
> I'd appreciate it if you left this message intact.  I'd like to    ** 
> receive credit wherever it is appropriate.  Thanks!      **
> ** I don't promise that this code does what you think it does...         **
> **
> ** Please mail any bug reports/fixes/enhancments to me at:  **      
> mo...@ca...     ** or        **      Mark Morley          
> **      3889 Mildred Street            **      Victoria, BC  Canada 
>               **      V8Z 7G1                  **      (604) 479-7861 
>                    **
> ***************************************************************************/ 

The only problem I spot is the part "However, you may not charge anyone 
else for the use of this code!"

> I could not reach the author, I tried several times (but per email only, 
> not snail mail).
> 
> What should we do here?

There are many possibilities:

- non-free
- contrib (depend on Evaluator) and (changed) Evaluator in non-free
- main either by removing Evaluator (possibly rewrite the code from 
scratch) or by making Evaluator free (contact the author by whatever 
means to change license, but I don't think he will change it as the 
license is pretty clear and you haven't got an answer by e-mail :-()

Cheers

Luk