Re: Idea for an alternative license

Matt Seitz <[email protected]>
Newsgroups gmane.comp.emulators.wine.license
Message-ID <[email protected]>
>From: Joerg Mayer ([email protected])
>Date: Sun Feb 24 2002 - 05:38:27 EST

>On Sat, Feb 23, 2002 at 04:41:29PM -0800, Bob La Quey wrote:
>> The CPL is a function of one variable Time. So we have CPL(T),
>> where T is a period of time allowed before the source code MUST be
revealed.
>> CPL(T=0) = GPL
>> CPL(T=infinity) = BSD.

>It fails to address the problems that are connected with code written under
>NDA (like hw drivers and e.g. copyprotection). And how would you want to
>make sure the source provided after 6-12 months matches the binary?

How about requiring the source to be distributed with the binary, and changing
T from "time allowed before the source code MUST be revealed" to "time allowed
before redistribution of the original and derived works is allowed"?  In other
words, the license would require source code to accompany the object code. 
However, the license prohibits licensees from redistributing the source code,
or distributing a work derived from the source code, for time T.  That would
give the same assurance the GPL does regarding source availability, while still
allowing the copyright holder a window during which only they are allowed to
distribute the source or a work derived from the source.


=====
Sincerely,
Matt Seitz

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