[GRASS5] why GPL

[Eric G. Miller]

On Thu, Mar 22, 2001 at 07:45:43AM -0800, strobe anarkhos wrote:
> >
> >
> >At least the GRASS I/O routines shall be released under LGPL. When
> >restructuring GRASS, we'll make use of Frank Warmerdam's "libgrass".
> >Like that proprietary products will be allowed to read/write GRASS
> >databases directly. See the libgrass link at:
> > http://www.geog.uni-hannover.de/grass/related_projects.html
> 
> I don't consider this a solution.

And why exactly should we write code and give it away under a license
that allows anyone to appropriate for their profit without returning
anything to the GRASS community?  I find this proposal eminently
reasonable and I will *not* relicense any code I write under any weak
license except for the purpose of providing import/export facilities
(i.e. GRASS I/O routines).

> >Generally I feel that GPL is a quite good license for GRASS. We have
> >quite good experience with that.
> 
> The only difference between the GPL and LGPL is software linked to the
> GRASS library would not have to be GPL. It offers the same protection
> of the software, but doesn't scare away people who do not want to
> release GPL software.

And that's a big difference.  If people are scared off because they
can't make money using the freely given contributions of other, so be
it.

-- 
Eric G. Miller <egm2 at jps.net>

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