Re: The worst that can happen to GPLed code

[Stefaan A Eeckels]

On Tue, 22 Jun 2004 10:03:12 +0200
Alexander Terekhov <terekhov@web.de> wrote:

> DJB rulez! 

Always happy to make new DJB fans. His software is pretty
good too, but his license doesn't allow you to do the
things the GPL or BSDL allow. For example, he doesn't
allow the redistribution of modified versions, and you
have to go through the hassle of distributing patches.
He's also pretty strict about the installation directories
(which happen to be totally non-compliant with the Linux
"standard"), and would prefer (not without reason)
that people who use his software download the source
and build it themselves, so it's mostly nay to binary
distributions. His stance is most definitely not your
"the moment you can download gratis copies licenses 
don't matter, and you can do as you please with all
or part of the software". 

That being said, he's a mathematician and cryptographer
(his lawsuit was instrumental in getting the USA's silly
rules on exporting cryptographic software modified), and
not a lawyer. The obtuse circumlocutions of legal
English might be too much for even a brilliant 
mathematician to digest :-), so use his interpreation
of the law at your own risk.

-- 
Stefaan
-- 
"What is stated clearly conceives easily."  -- Inspired sales droid