[OpenLayers-Dev] GeoJson Service question

[christopher.schmidt at nokia.com]

On Aug 13, 2010, at 5:00 AM, ext Pieter De Graef wrote:

> 
> 
> Eric Lemoine schreef:
>> On Friday, August 13, 2010, Pieter De Graef <pieter.degraef at geosparc.com>
>>  wrote:
>>   
>> 
>>> Thanks Bart,
>>> 
>>> I think that's it. I'll look at example implementations first and get
>>> back here if I have more questions.
>>> 
>> OpenLayers.Protocol.HTTP now fully supports the MapFish HTTP
>> interfaces (a.k.a. the MapFish Protocol), defined at
>> 
>> <http://trac.mapfish.org/trac/mapfish/wiki/MapFishProtocol>
>> . MapFish
>> and FeatureServer share the same HTTP interfaces. So if you develop
>> web services that respect these interfaces (in Geomajas or anywhere
>> else) you and your users could just use Protocol.HTTP and
>> Format.GeoJSON without any modification or extension to OpenLayers.
>> And going that path would lead to some compatibility across our server
>> implementations, which would probably be a good thing.
>> 
> Sure does. But what about rights/licenses? Can I create such a service without having to adopt MapFish license (GPL?)

Er... what? That's sort of like saying "MapServer implements WMS; can
I create a WMS without using the license of MapServer?"

In any case, the protocol isn't copyrighted. Even if it was, somehow
or something, it is implemented in FeatureServer and OpenLayers,
which are both licensed under the (Clear) BSD, but really, the
Protocol isn't something creative, and even if it was, I think that
MapFish (and certainly FeatureServer, which sort of 'invented' it first,
unless I'm crazy) would want it used as widely as possible.

So: Yes. I'm confident in saying that the lightweight 'HTTP Protocol'
shared between MapFish and FeatureServer is open, and well-supported
as a protocol to be used in any software anyone wants to write. If
we have to make a more official page to make that more well understood,
I'm sure the OpenLayers team can write somethin' up.

-- Chris