From: Ludovic Brenta <ludovic@ludovic-brenta.org>
Subject: Re: Ada in Debian: most libraries will switch to the pure GPL in Etch
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 23:18:37 +0200
Date: 2006-06-27T23:18:37+02:00 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <87ac7ypaaa.fsf@ludovic-brenta.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: pan.2006.06.27.16.40.22.904913@linuxchip.demon.co.uk.uk.uk
Dr. Adrian Wrigley writes:
> I'm sorry you have been put in this position - relaying and interpreting
> apparent changes in licensing conditions. The issues raised here
> are potentially of very wide interest to many millions of licencees
> and licensors under the GPL and other Free software licences.
Yes :( But it also applies to non-free EULAs, or any kind of license
whatsoever. It even applies to the movie I purchased on DVD a couple
of days ago. The lawyers are after us! Run! Run!
> Under English law (and presumably most other places), signed statements
> are not required to form a contract. In particular, if the parties
> behaved and believed that there is a contract then one exists.
> Evidence such as files, ftp sites, emails etc. can help support
> the claim that a contract existed. Surely the behaviour of
> the authors and users backs the claim that licences were granted?
> Signatures on bits of paper might help, but still don't provide
> a full guarantee. IANAL.
A license is not the same as a contract. A contract has to have
measurable obligations for both parties; a license is only a grant of
rights to the licensee, possibly without compensation. No
compensation, no contract, either written or implied.
> As regards the GPL, it appears to be a perpetual, sub-licensable,
> non-revocable (absense of breaches) licence. The GMGPL terms
> add to this, but don't change these basic features.
Right. That's why I think Debian is in the clear as regards the older
versions of AdaCore's software that are presently in the distribution.
> I am at a loss to understand what basis there is for revoking the
> licences already issued. As a party to the licence
> contract between myself and the authors, I feel aggrieved.
> I have kept to my side of the bargain. I'm not convinced they
> have kept to theirs.
Since they received no compensation for the software, there is no
bargain, no contract, ergo they have no obligations.
> Some people here will want a formal opinion. I don't feel I have
> need or resources for a professional view myself. But I am being
> made extremely wary of exposing myself to the possible legal
> risks involved in *any* substantive business project involving
> these software components. The way these licences seem to be
> being revoked, changed or withdrawn, without adequate explanation
> is certainly a breach of the implied social "contract" created
> when software is published.
Yes, but that applies to all licenses, even non-free licenses from
well-known vendors. The only thing that can provide assurances is a
contract.
--
Ludovic Brenta.
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2006-06-27 21:18 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 173+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2006-06-27 10:58 Ada in Debian: most libraries will switch to the pure GPL in Etch Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-27 11:48 ` AdaCore ... the Next SCO? Jeffrey Creem
2006-06-27 13:13 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-27 15:16 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 20:14 ` Simon Wright
2006-06-28 20:26 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-27 16:38 ` Martin Krischik
2006-06-27 17:58 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-06-28 0:24 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 6:09 ` Simon Wright
2006-06-28 7:45 ` Martin Krischik
2006-06-28 13:07 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-29 17:07 ` Martin Krischik
2006-06-29 22:26 ` Simon Wright
2006-06-30 16:46 ` Martin Krischik
2006-07-01 8:20 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-07-02 12:10 ` Martin Krischik
2006-06-28 20:26 ` Simon Wright
2006-06-29 17:45 ` Stephen Leake
2006-06-30 8:55 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 7:28 ` Martin Krischik
2006-06-28 8:07 ` No relicense everything now! (was: Re: AdaCore ... the Next SCO?) Georg Bauhaus
2006-06-28 13:14 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-29 17:53 ` AdaCore ... the Next SCO? Stephen Leake
2006-06-29 20:31 ` Jeffrey R. Carter
2006-06-30 8:40 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-30 15:19 ` Stephen Leake
2006-06-29 22:06 ` Jeffrey Creem
2006-06-30 8:46 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-30 15:21 ` Stephen Leake
2006-06-28 0:18 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 20:12 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-28 22:45 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 21:54 ` Björn Persson
2006-06-28 22:57 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 6:06 ` Simon Wright
2006-06-28 7:49 ` Martin Krischik
2006-06-29 17:43 ` Stephen Leake
2006-06-27 23:10 ` Jeffrey Creem
2006-06-28 2:23 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-29 17:40 ` Stephen Leake
2006-06-27 15:00 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-27 18:49 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-06-28 0:06 ` M E Leypold
2006-07-03 22:22 ` Hyman Rosen
2006-07-03 23:58 ` M E Leypold
2006-07-04 10:19 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-07-04 22:13 ` M E Leypold
2006-07-04 18:55 ` Hyman Rosen
2006-07-04 20:29 ` Simon Wright
2006-07-04 22:34 ` M E Leypold
2006-07-04 22:20 ` M E Leypold
2006-07-14 13:11 ` Hyman Rosen
2006-07-14 15:14 ` michael bode
2006-07-14 19:58 ` M E Leypold
2006-07-17 20:13 ` Hyman Rosen
2006-07-17 21:24 ` Michael Bode
2006-07-17 22:23 ` Hyman Rosen
2006-07-18 0:38 ` M E Leypold
2006-07-18 7:40 ` michael bode
2006-07-18 10:22 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-07-18 11:55 ` michael bode
2006-07-18 19:46 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-07-18 19:55 ` Michael Bode
2006-07-18 10:58 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-07-18 11:35 ` Revocable or non-revocable licenses from AdaCore? (Re: AdaCore ... the Next SCO?) Jacob Sparre Andersen
2006-07-18 20:37 ` Samuel Tardieu
2006-07-18 12:55 ` AdaCore ... the Next SCO? michael bode
2006-07-18 13:26 ` Marius Amado-Alves
2006-07-18 19:11 ` Michael Bode
2006-07-18 20:33 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-07-20 21:55 ` Björn Persson
2006-07-18 14:22 ` Hyman Rosen
2006-06-28 14:27 ` Preben Randhol
2006-06-28 15:22 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-06-28 15:36 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 20:18 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-29 7:09 ` Preben Randhol
2006-06-29 20:01 ` Björn Persson
2006-06-30 8:52 ` M E Leypold
2006-07-03 22:02 ` Hyman Rosen
2006-07-03 23:55 ` M E Leypold
2006-07-04 18:07 ` Michael Bode
2006-07-04 22:18 ` M E Leypold
2006-07-18 10:18 ` Jacob Sparre Andersen
2006-06-28 5:58 ` Simon Wright
2006-06-28 13:04 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-29 22:46 ` Simon Wright
2006-06-30 7:01 ` Martin Dowie
2006-07-01 8:48 ` Simon Wright
2006-06-30 8:39 ` M E Leypold
2006-07-01 8:58 ` Simon Wright
2006-06-27 13:46 ` Ada in Debian: most libraries will switch to the pure GPL in Etch Alex R. Mosteo
2006-06-27 14:40 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-27 14:52 ` What luck we had M E Leypold
2006-06-27 19:13 ` Pascal Obry
2006-06-28 13:39 ` Preben Randhol
2006-06-28 19:20 ` Michael Bode
2006-06-27 20:40 ` Jeffrey R. Carter
2006-06-28 0:02 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-27 18:57 ` Ada in Debian: most libraries will switch to the pure GPL in Etch Ed Falis
2006-06-28 0:58 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 19:45 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-27 21:10 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-28 1:02 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-27 15:00 ` Dr. Adrian Wrigley
2006-06-27 15:28 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-27 15:38 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-27 16:40 ` Dr. Adrian Wrigley
2006-06-27 17:45 ` Dmitry A. Kazakov
2006-06-27 21:18 ` Ludovic Brenta [this message]
2006-06-28 0:45 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 0:48 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 10:51 ` Dr. Adrian Wrigley
2006-06-28 11:14 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-06-28 11:21 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-06-28 12:41 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-28 13:36 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 13:31 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 0:42 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 19:24 ` Simon Wright
2006-06-28 23:00 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-27 18:50 ` Michael Bode
2006-06-28 0:50 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-27 19:25 ` Michael Bode
2006-06-28 0:52 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-27 19:39 ` Florian Weimer
2006-06-27 20:47 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-28 0:53 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 18:57 ` Florian Weimer
2006-06-28 13:50 ` Preben Randhol
2006-06-28 14:16 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-06-28 19:14 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-06-28 19:55 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-28 19:54 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-29 6:12 ` Ole-Hjalmar Kristensen
2006-06-28 19:22 ` Simon Wright
2006-06-27 18:39 ` Michael Bode
2006-06-27 19:28 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-06-27 19:39 ` Michael Bode
2006-06-27 20:09 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-06-27 20:23 ` Michael Bode
2006-06-27 20:53 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-06-27 22:53 ` Björn Persson
2006-06-28 5:11 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-06-28 1:29 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 1:18 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 6:07 ` Michael Bode
2006-06-28 17:58 ` Frank J. Lhota
2006-06-28 18:17 ` Ed Falis
2006-06-28 18:55 ` Florian Weimer
2006-06-30 19:55 ` Preben Randhol
2006-06-28 18:57 ` Georg Bauhaus
2006-06-28 19:28 ` Frank J. Lhota
2006-06-28 19:38 ` Michael Bode
2006-06-28 19:17 ` Michael Bode
2006-06-28 20:48 ` Florian Weimer
2006-06-28 1:07 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-27 21:07 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-27 21:19 ` Michael Bode
2006-06-28 1:40 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 1:35 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-28 11:57 ` Florian Weimer
2006-06-28 18:45 ` Michael Bode
2006-06-28 19:51 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-28 20:46 ` Florian Weimer
2006-06-28 23:06 ` M E Leypold
2006-06-27 22:44 ` Simon Wright
2006-07-03 18:21 ` Matthew Goulet
2006-07-04 7:21 ` Ludovic Brenta
[not found] <mailman.122.1151442302.13640.comp.lang.ada@ada-france.org>
2006-06-28 13:55 ` Carroll, Andrew
2006-06-28 19:57 ` Ludovic Brenta
2006-06-28 23:12 ` M E Leypold
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