[GRASS5] New info on openDWG

[Bernhard Reiter]

On Tue, Aug 31, 2004 at 11:50:56AM +1200, Hamish wrote:
> re. Michael's suggestion that if OpenDWG can't be included in
> distributions of GRASS then maybe a non-GPL standalone translator app is
> called for, 

GNU/Linux distributions cannot distribute application
using OpenDWG because those libraries are non-free software
and not allowed to be used commercially.
(http://www.opendesign.com/downloads/guest.htm
	Open Design Alliance members have created the following free
	utilities, based on the OpenDWG Libraries, for your unrestricted,
	non-commercial use. Please note that inclusion of any utility in a
	commercial product does require commercial licensing, 
)

and GNU/Linux distributions are mostly considered commercial.

> as we can't reasonably expect everyone who needs DXF support
> to be able to compile for themselves (even if it would be good for them
> and make them better human beings etc).

We should point that problem out more prominently
to get more people to 
	- put pressure on OpenDWG
	- give money so a Free Software DWG library can be written
	or improved
	- helping writing the library.

> OGR seems like the natural place for this to happen.
> 
> The problem then moves to finding someone qualified to do it or finding
> the money to pay Frank to do it..
> 
> http://xserve.flids.com/pipermail/gdal-dev/2002-November/002929.html
> 
> Or find some libreware saviour to write a LGPL dwg library from scratch.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/grass-dev/attachments/20040831/7c1f4a0d/attachment.bin