Re: licensing

I just want to point out a few things about software developed by the US
government.  I've been doing this for 26 years so I've been through this
a number of times.  

The US government cannot copyright anything - go check the US Copyright
Office pages.  It's one line.  I also had to check this with our lawyer
(DOD - I am not a contractor).  I really love this bit of hand waving by
NIMA in the DTED spec:

	COPYRIGHT (year of production) BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
	NO COPYRIGHT CLAIMED UNDER TITLE 17 U.S.C.


Since we can't copyright we can't license under the GPL.  All software
published by the US government falls into the public domain.  Note the
use of the word "published".  Export controlled software is not
"published".  It is against the law for a company to charge the US
government for code that was developed by the US government.  They can
charge for enhancements/extensions but not for the code itself.  Other
governments have different rules but this is what we have to deal with.

Jan Depner


On Mon, 2003-10-20 at 13:21, Taran Rampersad wrote:
> Jeremy,
> 
> The point is that when it comes to software developed by a government, 
> the citizens are the people paying for the product. When you pay taxes, 
> you pay your government to do certain things.
> 
> Why would you pay your government to write software that another company 
> - in another country - can profit from? I don't know how to atomize this 
> further for people to understand, but if I need to, I will try.
> 
> Taran
> 
> Jeremy C. Reed wrote:
> 
> >>You're right. We disagree. Intellectualization of reality still leaves
> >>us with reality. That farmer will still pay for code in proprietary
> >>products if their government chooses a BSD license.
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >I don't understand how the farmer is forced to purchase proprietary
> >products.
> >
> >But I do understand how the farmer (since he is knowledgable) can choose
> >to build a proprietary product (and a financial livelihood) based on the
> >properly-licensed code.
> >
> >   Jeremy C. Reed
> >   http://bsd.reedmedia.net/
> >
> >
> >  
> >
> 
-- 

********************************
Jan C. Depner
Code N43T
Naval Oceanographic Office
1002 Balch Blvd
Stennis Space Center MS, 39522
228.688.5609
********************************

I'm a programmer with a soldering iron, and I'm not afraid to use it.