[GRASS-user] Questions about GRASS license and other more restrictive licenses

[Jarosław Jasiewicz]

rabotin pisze:
> Hello all,
> I've got a question concerning the license of GRASS.
> I'm working for a public french research center (INRA : French 
> National Institute for Agricultural Research) ; we have developped a 
> series of scripts in shell and perl languages for GRASS.
> These procedures are made for an informatic platform which is able to 
> download under a license more restrictive than GPL license .
> And these procedures for GRASS will be accessible for download under 
> this license too.
> So my question is : is this kind of license (a license more 
> restrictive than GPL license) compatible with developing shell scripts 
> for GRASS (as GRASS license is GPL license) or not ?
> Thanks for any informations you can provide
>
> Here you can read the following lines in the license provided with the 
> informatic platform (and this license will be the same for these GRASS 
> scripts) :
>
> 2) License of the software
> ==========================
> a) INRA grants to You by this agreement a non-exclusive, world-wide and
> royalty-free license to use the software to the end described hereunder
> in the domain of the license, as long as You will comply with the terms
> and conditions of this agreement.
> b) You are authorised to download, install, execute the software on your
> computer within the limit of one license for one computer (one hard
> disk).
> c) Except specific and written agreement of INRA, You are not allowed
> to download, install or execute the software on a server.
> d) You are not authorised to rent, sell, sublease, distribute, assign,
> transfer, license, sublicense or otherwise share the software or one of
> INRA’s rights on the software.
> e) You are authorised to make a back-up copy of the software provided
> You will not use it on any else computer. You are responsible of the
> physical security of this copy and of the software.
> f) You may personalize the set up of the software or extend its
> functions. As well, You may translate, adapt, fix, modify the software
> when theses acts are necessary for the use of the software in accordance
> with this agreement.
> g) INRA reserves the right to correct errors and to determine the
> specific forms to which the following acts will be submitted:
> The copy of the source code of the software or the translation of this
> code are allowed when they are essential for the good working order of
> the software with other softwares and when they are essential for the
> use of the software in the domain of the license.
> Furthermore, You are not authorized to reverse engineer, disassemble or
> decompile the software.
> Necessary information for good working order with other softwares is
> available by INRA, without implying as regard to INRA any undertaking
> to supply any assistance or services associated with the software.
> h) You are not authorised to extract (that is transfer permanently or
> temporarily) whole or a part of the content of the software (data) onto
> an other medium, by any mean and in any form. Moreover, you are neither
> authorised to re-use (that is to put at the public’s disposal) whole or
> a part of the content of the software (data) whatever the form may be.
> i) Your are allowed to produce supplementary modules for the software,
> to improve or adapt the software provided however that the use of these
> modules, supplementary versions, improvements, additions or upgrades
> will be used in accordance with this agreement and strictly in the
> domain of the licence.
> In particular, You undertake to communicate these improvements or
> modules to INRA and to allow INRA to use them for its own research
> purposes.
> If the improvements or modules are dependant upon the software
> (according to code de la propriété intellectuelle), You may not disclose
> or transfer them to third parties without the prior and written consent
> of INRA on the forms of this distribution.
> If the improvement or modules are not dependant upon the software
> (according to code de la propriété intellectuelle), You may disclose
> and transfer them to third parties, provided You indemnify and hold
> harmless INRA with respect to any suit, claim or proceeding brought by
> a third party.
>
> Michael Rabotin
>
Hi!
I read the licence and I cannot understand it idea. I also afraid it is 
dangerous. If it concerns shell and pearl script it concerns open-code 
software (I mean software where code is fully accessible, not 
open-source sensu stricto) can be partially rewritten or solution used 
in especially shell scripts may be used in similar way in others 
completely independent scripts. I do not know what is area if interest 
of that shell and pearl scripts but publication of it may potentially 
restrict any activity of others who want to use or develop similar 
solutions:

"(i) Your are allowed to produce supplementary modules for the software,
to improve or adapt the software provided however that the use of these
modules, supplementary versions, improvements, additions or upgrades
will be used in accordance with this agreement and strictly in the
domain of the licence.
In particular, You undertake to communicate these improvements or
modules to INRA and to allow INRA to use them for its own research
purposes."

Jarek