Re: Problem with GNAT modified GPL and SourceForge

[Keith Thompson <kst@cts.com>]

Preben Randhol <randhol+abuse@pvv.org> writes:
[...]
> No it means that the category is Other / Proprietary License as oppsied
> to OSI approved license. Propriatary License means a license for Closed
> Source programs (if you can call it like that) like Microsoft or Sun or
> whoever.

Microsoft is a good example, but Sun isn't; some of their software is
now open source (or whatever the appropriate buzzphrase is).

> Yes the GPL is Proprietarian in the sense that it requires the code and
> derivative code to be in the "public domain". Wheras Microsofts license
> is Proprietarian in the sense to keep the code out of the "public domain".
> At least this is how I see it. 

An important quibble: "public domain" means entirely free of copyright
and licensing restrictions.  If a piece of software is public domain,
I can legally make a small change, put my own copyright notice on it,
and sell or license it any way I like -- which of course doesn't
prevent anyone else from distributing the original source freely.

There actually isn't much software that's literally public domain.
Most open source software has some kind of copyright and license
terms.

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst@cts.com  <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
San Diego Supercomputer Center           <*>  <http://www.sdsc.edu/~kst>
Cxiuj via bazo apartenas ni.