[linux-elitists] Fwd: RFC: Freecell Solver Licence "Change"

[Shlomi Fish]

Rick, this email has been inspired by what you said about using the PD for 
source code, and links to your page. Rick and everybody else - any comments?

Regards,

	Shlomi Fish

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: RFC: Freecell Solver Licence "Change"
Date: Thursday 19 March 2009
From: Shlomi Fish <shlomif at iglu.org.il>
To: Freecell Solving Discussions <fc-solve-discuss at yahoogroups.com>

Hello everybody,

before I subject you to your dose of "What's new on the Freecell Solver 
trunk", I'd like to discuss its licensing. As you may know, the Freecell 
Solver COPYING file has read up to now:

{{{{{{{{{{{{
Relax, this is not GPL software, but rather it is distributed under the
public domain. It means it can be linked against anything, converted to 
any different license, freely used and distributed, and anything else
without any restrictions whatsoever. No Strings Attached!<tm>

Well, enjoy!

	Shlomi Fish
}}}}}}}}}}}}

Similarly the comment at the beginning of most files reads:

{{{{{{{{{{{{
/*
 * scans.c - The code that relates to the various scans.
 * Currently Hard DFS, Soft-DFS, Random-DFS, A* and BFS are implemented.
 *
 * Written by Shlomi Fish ( http://www.shlomifish.org/ ), 2000-2001
 *
 * This file is in the public domain (it's uncopyrighted).
 */
}}}}}}}}}}}}

So far this has seemed to work pretty well for Freecell Solver. However, 
placing code under the Public Domain results in some potential legal problems:

* http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Licensing_and_Law/public-domain.html

* http://www.builderau.com.au/blogs/syslog/viewblogpost.htm?p=339270930

* http://use.perl.org/comments.pl?sid=39148&cid=62005

As a result I now think I should "convert" the licensing terms of new Freecell 
Solver releases to the MIT/X11 Licence:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIT_License

I say "convert" in quotes because as far as all parties involved are 
concerned, what you can do with the code (i.e: almost anything) is not going 
to change.

The X11L is arguably the most reasonably-liberal licence out there, possibly 
except for http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTFPL , which is more of a joke.

But I'm asking you if you have any objection to this change. Say "+1" if you 
approve or don't mind, or "-1" if you're opposed (and then explain why).

Regards,

	Shlomi Fish

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Shlomi Fish       http://www.shlomifish.org/
http://www.shlomifish.org/humour/ways_to_do_it.html

God gave us two eyes and ten fingers so we will type five times as much as we
read.


-------------------------------------------------------
-- 
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Shlomi Fish       http://www.shlomifish.org/
Why I Love Perl - http://xrl.us/bjn88

God gave us two eyes and ten fingers so we will type five times as much as we
read.