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<TITLE>RE: [postgis-devel] License</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Paul,<BR>
<BR>
I'm all for it. Not that there would be a risk of PostGIS ever losing its<BR>
preferred standing, but its always bothered me that it is not integrated as<BR>
spatial is with other databases. The GPL also confuses the hell out of people<BR>
as to whether they can use it commercially what they have to give back and so forth.<BR>
<BR>
Though on the down-side could slow things down since I presume that would mean<BR>
we have to be more conscious of our moves relative to PostgreSQL. Then again we try to be anyway.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
Regina<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
-----Original Message-----<BR>
From: postgis-devel-bounces@postgis.refractions.net on behalf of Paul Ramsey<BR>
Sent: Wed 2/4/2009 1:17 PM<BR>
To: PostGIS Development Discussion<BR>
Subject: [postgis-devel] License<BR>
<BR>
David Fetter from PgSQL has been bugging me about bringing PostGIS<BR>
into PgSQL proper. As it stands now, doing so is not possible: PostGIS<BR>
is GPL, PgSQL is BSD. The only way it would work would be to<BR>
re-license, and that would require the approval of all the copyright<BR>
holders, basically all the major authors, ever.<BR>
<BR>
I used to just not contemplate this stuff, but things like this<BR>
<<A HREF="http://forge.mysql.com/wiki/GIS_Functions">http://forge.mysql.com/wiki/GIS_Functions</A>> give me pause. Perhaps I<BR>
am over-valuing the advantage "built-in" features have over add-ons,<BR>
particularly with things like the new PgSQL package distribution<BR>
system. Maybe this could be solved with PgSQL giving selected add-ons<BR>
(like ours) better marketing in the main site, rather than integrating<BR>
the code itself.<BR>
<BR>
However, I am interested to hear what other people think. Whether<BR>
integrating would be a good idea, in general. Whether attempting to do<BR>
it would be worth the hassle, in practice.<BR>
<BR>
For reference, this is the PgSQL license:<BR>
<BR>
<A HREF="http://www.postgresql.org/about/licence">http://www.postgresql.org/about/licence</A><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
P<BR>
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