[PanoTools-devel] LGPL license feature

[John Spikowski <johnspikowski@ya...>]

Daniel Wrote:

>
Well, this is still a problem. SF-Pano13 is, and will continue to be
GPL.

I suggest we hold decisions on what and who is to L-GPL what until we
know more from Helmut we are all speculating.

The change of license to LGPL is a step forward.

The LGLP will be very good for those with commercial interests, but
not for me. It will mean that I will be giving away my contributions
to commercial entities without proper compensation. This is
unacceptable to me.

For that reason I will not LGPL pano13 (Pablo and I are the only
contributors of the diffs from pano12 to pano13)

I will, however, donate some of my contributions to Helmut, if he is
to continue maintaining the panotools.
>

"One feature of the LGPL is that one can convert any LGPLed piece of
software into a GPLed piece of software (section 3 of the license). This
feature is useful for direct reuse of LGPLed code in GPLed libraries and
applications, or if one wants to create a version of the code that software
companies cannot use in proprietary software products."

Is this the plan with pano13?

John

[PanoTools-devel] Commercial vs Free Software

[John Spikowski <support@pa...>]

Hi List,

It might be worth putting a list together of software that use Panorama
Tools in a commercial product and those that are part of the open source
community. All parties should be represented as it's been 4 1/2 years of
'blind' development with Helmut being MIA.

I don't think anyone wants to see this license issue being used as
punishment but the GNU is well documented and everyone using the software
knew the rules of use going in. Helmut didn't leave Pano12 on anyone
doorstep to take care of. There may have been a good reason he released the
source as GNU and moved on.

My vote is to is to keep Panorama Tools as a standard GNU open source
project which helps the open source community. I always thought Helmut was
on the side of the open source community with all the crap he took from
Ipix. To give into commercial use now seems like it was all for nothing. I
agree with Daniel. Why contribute if your efforts are going to a company
with no obligation to give anything back.

John