RE: domapi license issues (fwd)

Hi

Below is the answer of Darin from domapi about its license.
I'm still not really satisfied with it. But maybe we can figure out
something with darin.

I'm wondering about your opinion? Should we include domapi in BXE even if
it stays at this license, or should we search for/write something else?

The license is readable here:

http://www.domapi.com/agree.cfm?thefile=domapi_301_Standard.zip

and the "Registred User Feature" here:

http://www.domapi.com/aboutMembers.cfm

chegu


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 19:57:47 -0800
From: Darin Kadrioski <[email protected]>
To: Christian Stocker <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: domapi license issues

Thanks for all your kind words!

Let me try to address each item in your email:

>"Can I redistribute domapi with bxe or do the others have to get it
>from your site"
Definitely yes, please do!  All that I ask is that you provide some sort
of acknowledgement either in your splashscreen, about box or what have
you, to help publicize it's usage.

>"Am I allowed to change your code and redistribute it as complete
>package (within bxe)"
Strictly speaking, no, the license doesn't allow this. But...  There is
a way around it. DomAPI is designed so that any object can be extended
or functionality overwritten via external files.  What most people do is
create their own files that contain their changes and then load them
after the Library has loaded.  For instance, if you didn't like the way
DomAPI handles onmouseover for buttons, you could simply declare your
own function that would then automatically overwrite the existing one:
core.comps.button.onmouseover = function(){ ... };

Similarly, you can extend components and objects without editing the
existing source files:
core.comps.button.myNewFunc = function(){ ... };

You could place these functions in your own js file and load it in
using:
core.loadUnit('../myExtensions.js');

>"But if I understand that correctly, we could not redistibute this code

>to our developers and more importantly not take beta code"
That is incorrect, your donation of $40 or more entitles you to download
the code and use throughout your organization.  You are not required to
donate once for every developer.  Registering is the only way you can
obtain the uncompressed code.

>"Or would you consider to change it, if we would pay you some amount of
money?"
I've had a few people propose that I sell less-restrictive licenses to
organizations that need it.  I am still mulling this over and trying to
come up with both the license and fee levels. I am completely open to
any suggestions you may have.

>"but let me say one more thing, no matter which license domapi will
>have in the future and if we are using it, we will certainly contribute
>back as much as we can and as much as it makes sense"
This is greatly appreciated.  Many people have helped with DomAPI since
it's inception.  I am careful to give credit to all contributions used
wherever I can.

Take care,

----------------------------------------------
Darin Kadrioski - DomAPI Creator
http://domapi.com
[email protected]

-----Original Message-----
From: Christian Stocker [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 2:03 AM
To: Darin Kadrioski
Cc: Roger Fischer
Subject: domapi license issues


Hi Darin

wow, you're very fast with finding my entry ;)

I wanted to contact you already yesterday, but my partner is out of
country till tomorrow and I wanted to discuss some stuff with him
before, but I think, it's ok, when I answer you right now.

But first, let me say, that your work really impressed me. It looks
like, it's exactly what I was looking for since a long time. It has a
lot of very useful widgets, is easy extensible and very well programmed.

Back to your question:

> What aspect of the License Agreement are you not satisfied with?

The Bitflux Editor (http://bitfluxeditor.org) ist released under the
Apache License (http://bitfluxeditor.org/home/license/), while domapi
has a more strict license. Particulary

2. You may freely modify your copy of the Library or any portion of it.
YOU MAY NOT REDISTRIBUTE your modified version of the Library, NOR MAKE
IT AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD except for use in your pages and/or
application

and

5. [...] Please note that section 2 still applies to this distribution,
and that the copy of the Library you distribute cannot be modified from
it's original form in any way

So, if we base the apache licensed bitflux editor (aka bxe) code on
domapi, we have maybe a problem. Therefore I have some questions:

- Can I redistribute domapi with bxe or do the others have to get it
from your site?

- Am I allowed to change your code and redistribute it as complete
package (within bxe)?

This are my two main questions about your license.

My main issue is, since we want to be a real open source project, if
half of the code is based on some more strict license, we could "piss
off" some potential developers.

furthermore, we get only the nicely formatted code, if we pay you.
That's not a big deal for me and I'll certainly pay you something. But
if I understand that correctly, we could not redistibute this code to
our developers and more importantly not take beta code, which seems to
be only available to Registred Users and integrate it into our
"beta-code". I'm not sure about that, 'though.

So, I hope you understand my problems with your license. I can live with
it, if we can incorporate your code into our downloads/CVS and if we are
allowed to change it. Therfore I ask you, if you will ever consider to
change your license (best would be apache, but there are certainly
others, which would suit us as well). Or would you consider to change
it, if we would pay you some amount of money? (We can imagine how much
work you put into this library and I have no idea how well you're paypal
concept works ;) )

mmh, i write way too much already, but let me say one more thing, no
matter which license domapi will have in the future and if we are using
it, we will certainly contribute back as much as we can and as much as
it makes sense (a soap/xmlrpc module for example is just now in my
head..)

so long and have a nice day

chregu

-- 
christian stocker | bitflux GmbH | schoeneggstrasse 5 | ch-8004 zurich
phone +41 1 240 56 70 | mobile +41 76 561 88 60 |  fax +41 1 240 56 71
http://www.bitflux.ch  |  [email protected]  |  gnupg-keyid 0x5CE1DECB

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