Re: [Savannah-help-public] migrating FreeType to savannah

[Sylvain Beucler]

> I don't understand your answer.  Please elaborate.  Using FreeType is
> completely free; we only ask to be acknowledged.  What do you mean
> with a `copyleft statement'?

I meant it looked like a work based on the product had to be released,
if released, under the same license (ie. copyleft). But you only asked
to keep the acknowledgements in any future version, which is
different.


> By the way, what's incompatible with the GPL is the following clause
> in the FreeType license:
>
>     o Redistribution in binary form must provide a  disclaimer  that
>       states  that  the software is based in part of the work of the
>       FreeType Team,  in  the  distribution  documentation.  We also
>       encourage you to put an URL to the FreeType web page  in  your
>       documentation, though this isn't mandatory.
>
> that's because it _mandates_ that you put a disclaimer in the documentation.
> Technically speaking, that is an additionnal restriction compared to the
> GPL. And the GPL explicitely prohibits them (see Section 4). I believe
> there'\s even a web page on the GNU web site that explains this in more
> details.

The page is:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/bsd.html


What causes practical problems is:

3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software
   must display the following acknowledgement:
     This product includes software developed by the University of
     California, Berkeley and its contributors.


But the modified (and GNU GPL-compatible) BSD still carries:

2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.


The part you quoted looks closer to the modified BSD than to the
original BSD license. There must be some subtleties I am not skilled
enough to pinpoint. Anyway.


I'll try to evaluate your project within the next 30 minutes, or later
in the day. Apparently we'll ask you to make the copyright and license
notices tidy before to import the sources.

-- 
Sylvain