Re: [gNewSense-users] Possible problem with closed bug 123

[Sam Geeraerts]

Paul O'Malley wrote:
> Markus Laire wrote:
> > Bug http://bugs.gnewsense.org/Bugs/00123 has been closed by Brian as 
> > not a problem, but I think this is an error.
> >
> > The problematic text "Users may copy or modify Sun RPC without charge, 
> > but are not authorized to license or distribute it to anyone else 
> > except as part of a product or program developed by the user" only 
> > gives right to distribute as part of a product *developed by the user*.
> >
> > So the users of gNS who have not taken part in developing gNS do NOT 
> > have the right to distribute this code as part of gNS, and so do NOT 
> > have right to distribute gNS either if this code is included in gNS.
> >
> > Bug http://bugs.gnewsense.org/Bugs/00126 is also about the same 
> > problem but different file.
> Please read the reason that Brian used to close the bug.
> It's closure is valid.
>
> Brian's language is very clear as is the language in the licence.
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Paul

I'm also in doubt about this bug. The license means that the code can 
not be distributed by itself. So if for example a teacher wants to show 
his students an example of RPC code and he prints out that particular 
code and distributes it in the classroom, that would be a violation of 
the license. So that makes it non-free.

Furthermore, if the license should be read as "except as part of a 
(product) or (program developed by the user)" then it would be OK to 
distribute it as part of gNewSense. If the license should be read as 
"except as part of a (product or program) developed by the user" then it 
can only be distributed by the user as part of gNewSense if the user has 
participated in the development of gNewSense (or Ubuntu or Debian) or 
possibly even only if he has worked on portmap.

So the language doesn't seem all that clear to me.