[Live-demo] GISVM license and copyright ownership?

Cameron Shorter cameron.shorter at gmail.com
Thu Aug 27 13:35:51 PDT 2009


What I'm trying to avoid is the situation that happened between gvsig 
(GPL) and Jump (LGPL).
As I understand it, GVSig developers used some of the JUMP code or 
algorithms, and improved them, but they could not be merged back into 
the JUMP codebase (and worked on by JUMP developers) because the JUMP 
developers couldn't accept the code without switching to GPL.

Hamish wrote:
> Ricardo wrote:
>   
>> Is that for guarantee that third party can make commercial
>> products and services out of those scripts?
>>     
>
>
> For what it's worth, what you describe is totally acceptable
> and sanctioned under the terms of the full GPL3. What can't
> happen is for that 3rd party to create a monopoly for themselves
> based on your code. It forces them to compete for customers
> based on a reputation as the go-to guys for that particular
> problem rather than by using proprietary lock-in tactics.
> ie Power to the people.
>
> If it is your wish that no one uses your code for personal
> profit, you should explore one of the Creative Commons non-
> commercial-only licenses.
>
> If you feel strongly that all components to GISVM should be
> GPL3, for my part I'm happy to respect that. I would note
> that any single author can relicense their own script in as
> many different ways as they like, so there is no reason that
> the same script can't be GPL3 here and LGPL there - as long as
> all the authors of that script agree to it. The only potential
> cost is confusion (a patch submitted to the GPL version can't
> be ported to the LGPL one without permission), but having the
> copyright terms in the header comments of each file mostly
> makes intentions clear. Also, one of the terms of the LGPL
> says that an end user can upgrade it to the full GPL any time
> they like.
>
>
>
> Hamish
>
>
>
>       
>
> _______________________________________________
> Live-demo mailing list
> Live-demo at lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/live-demo
>   


-- 
Cameron Shorter
Geospatial Systems Architect
Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254

Think Globally, Fix Locally
Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source
http://www.lisasoft.com




More information about the Osgeolive mailing list