Re: [OctDev] GPL violations

[Judd S. <js...@gm...>]

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 4:50 PM, David Bateman <dba...@db...>wrote:

> The author of this package has been approached in the past about the
> compatibility of his code with the GPL and he had no desire to change his
> license or allow distribution.
>

That is unfortunate. Clearly, the author of the library explicitly does not
want his code used in octave.

Now that we've confirmed than use of the MEX interface with non-free
> software is legitimate with Octave, a MEX interface can be written. If the
> MEX interface itself is under an open-source license and GPC itself isn't on
> octave-forge I don't see why the GPC package can't stay. But again I'd also
> be happy enough to see it go.
>

That's an interesting approach. I really hate it though, because it ends up
doing exactly the same thing (enabling use of non-free software in octave)
but now also benefits the Mathworks. Well, if someone want's to do this
maybe the MEX interface here can help:

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/8818-polygon-clipper

I have no idea if it works in octave or if the functionality there is
equivalent.

 spline-gcvspl :: http://octave.sourceforge.net/spline-gcvspl/index.html
>>
>>  Well as this software was written in the late eighties when strange
> non-commercial licenses were the norm, the license issue here is normal.
> Unfortunately, when the author was approached a few years back it turned out
> that he was dead, and no attempts to contact his next of kin were made.


Also unfortunate. Next of kin are probably irrelevant, though, as it seems
to have been written while the author was an employee of Philips and
probably represents work-for-hire.

Though as the code is copyrighted May 1986 in the Netherlands, a question to
> ask is how long is copyright in the netherlands? If its 25 years, then this
> code becomes public in May next year any way.


Maybe confusing copyright and patent durations? In the Netherlands,
copyright extends 70 years after death (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_copyright_law).


--judd