[Freegis-list] Martin Reddy's Open Source Projects

[Martin Reddy]

> As you are new to FreeGIS I should mention that we use the term
> free software strictky in the way FSF, FSFE use them.

Yeah, I just read up on the web page and realised that this is the case.
In which case, I understand and agree with your wording of "non free".

> > Certainly, we would like to have this code released under
> > something like the Apache license and just be done. However, as the code is
> > based upon algorithms used by SEDRIS, we are tied to their license. The
> > SEDRIS guys believe that their license is essentially open, the only
> > restriction is that you cannot turn around and sell it for profit.
>
> that is again one example where you can see that 'open source', though
> the term was invented with essentially the same definition as for
> free software, it is often misinterpreted as somthing like 'you can see
> the code and to some degree use it'.
>
> > I therefore think that a more correct description would be "free for non-
> > commercial purposes".
>
> I am too strictly focused on freedom to use this term ;-)
>
> > A better long-term option would be to put more pressure
> > on the SEDRIS guys to let us change the license to Apache (or some such).
>
> very good idea! Do they really expect that other companies make money
> with the unmodified code?
> Anyone out there volunteering to contact SEDRIS about this issue?

I think that this would be a good idea. We at SRI have tried this a couple
times, but I don't think they felt our suggestion was warranted. If there
were more community pressure, then they might bend. If someone from this
community would like to engage them in supporting an OSI license for the
GeoTransform package, and in particular pointing out that their license is
not Open Source and the problems that entails, then I can pass on contact
details of the person to talk to.

Cheers,

Martin.


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Martin Reddy                                   SRI International, AI Center
                                               Menlo Park, CA 94025-3493
reddy at ai.sri.com                               Tel : (650) 859-6468
http://www.ai.sri.com/~reddy                   Fax : (650) 859-3735