Re: gEDA-dev: GPL clarification text -- please review & comment/flame!

[DJ Delorie <dj-at-NOSPAMdelorie_dot_com>]

> *  We wish to distribute the symbols and footprints under a licencing
> scheme which encourages that you give back to the community if you
> make changes to the symbols or footprints.  The GPL ensures this.

The GPL does *not* do anything about giving back if you make changes.
It only prevents you from stopping people from making changes.  This
is a common misconception; the GPL is about freedoms for the *user*,
not benefits for the *developer*.

> *  We wish to specifically prohibit anybody from building our
> symbols or footprints into their products,

Replace "symbols or footprints" with "symbol or footprint libraries"
and replace "products" with "EDA products".  Let's not confuse
distribution-as-library with distribution-in-board.

> If we distribute symbols or footprints with a licence contained
> within the symbol/footprint file, then the file should contain the
> entire GPL along with the above text.

The gedasymbols.org way is to include a reference to the license, not
the license itself, in the symbol/footprint file.  For footprints,
there are three cases:

* The footprint library.
* Footprints embedded in .pcb files.
* The resulting copper expression on a board.

We use "dist-license" for the first, and "use-license" for
(ambiguously) the second and/or third, depending on your
interpretation of copyright law.


_______________________________________________
geda-dev mailing list
geda-dev@moria.seul.org
http://www.seul.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/geda-dev