Re: [Savannah-hackers] savannah.gnu.org: submission of Vacation Mail Re

[Loic Dachary]

Sean Rima writes:
 > address@hidden was alleged to have said to Sean Rima
 >  something about [Savannah-hackers] savannah.gnu.org: submission of Vacation
 > Mail Re
 > 
 > The code is GPL. However I have not updated the README to reflect this due
 > to changes from the original licence to GNU GPL licence.
 > 
 > I have made major changes to the code base since I took it over and
 > therefore it no longer resembles the original code base. I will have a look
 > at the suggested licence though.

        Still, the vacation.c file shows the original BSD license.
Making major changes to a software does not allow you to change the
license, unless you get a written permission from the original
author(s).

        In the README you (I guess it's you ;-) say that your changes
are under the GNU GPL license. However, the original BSD license and the
GNU GPL license are incompatible. This creates a legal problem that should
be solved. 

        You would be safe by chosing the original BSD license for your 
changes. Trying another license (other than GNU GPL) may also create 
compatibility problems. Unfortunately nobody cares to study the compatibility
issues between licenses (is MPL compatible with original BSD, Apache 
compatible with MPL etc. etc.). 

        The best thing to do would be to get in touch with the original
author(s) and ask permission to switch to GNU GPL. If they refuse they
may accept to change to the modified BSD license which is compatible with
the GNU GPL. 

        I hope it helps,

 > Sean
 > 
 >  lo> From: Loic Dachary <address@hidden>
 >  lo> To: address@hidden
 >  lo> Cc: address@hidden
 >  lo> Reply-To: address@hidden
 >  lo>
 >  lo>
 >  lo>         Hi,
 >  lo>
 >  lo>         Unless I'm mistaken, vacation has two licences (GNU GPL for
 >  lo> manual pages + original BSD for code).  However, the original BSD
 >  lo> license (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#OriginalBSD) is
 >  lo> incompatible with the GNU GPL. One could use the modified BSD
 >  lo> (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#ModifiedBSD) instead.
 >  lo>
 >  lo>         Could you clarify this and submit the project again with
 >  lo> accurate license information ? Is there a way for you to switch to the
 >  lo> Modified BSD license ? That would ease interoperability.
 >  lo>
 >  lo>         Cheers,
 >  lo>
 >  lo>  > A package was submitted to savannah.gnu.org.
 >  lo>  > This mail was sent to address@hidden, address@hidden
 >  lo>  >
 >  lo>  >
 >  lo>  > Sean Rima <address@hidden> described the package as follows:
 >  lo>  > License: gpl
 >  lo>  > Other License:
 >  lo>  > Package: Vacation Mail Responder
 >  lo>  > System name: vacation
 >  lo>  > This package wants to apply for inclusion in the GNU project
 >  lo>  >
 >  lo>  > This is the port of the 386bsd vacation program to Linux. Vacation is
 >  lo>  > the automatic mail answering program found on many Unix systems.
 >  lo>  > Current SF project page is:
 >  lo>  > http://sourceforge.net/projects/vacation/

-- 
Loic   Dachary         http://www.dachary.org/  address@hidden
24 av Secretan         http://www.senga.org/      address@hidden
75019    Paris         Tel: 33 1 42 45 09 16        address@hidden
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