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

[Dan McMahill <dan-at-NOSPAMmcmahill_dot_net>]

Steve Meier wrote:
> 
> On Fri, 2007-03-16 at 20:49 +0200, Bernd Jendrissek wrote:
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>> On Fri, Mar 16, 2007 at 10:27:12AM -0800, Steve Meier wrote:
>>> Which symbols have you donated? I would like to know so that I can
>>> make double sure to avoid them.
>> Watched the Poisonous People talk, have you?
>>
>> Don't worry, you can rest assured that there are no symbols with my
>> poisonous mark on them floating around.
>>

 > Bernd,
 >
 > As I stated earlier, I am just asking for clarity on what I can do with
 > various symbols and landpatterns. I had reached the conclussion that the
 > only safe thing for me to do was to use 100% of my own symbols and such.
 >
 > I again am thankfull that Stuart is working to clarify the situation and
 > I also think that symbols which were contributed to the project under
 > even the belief that they were GPL and that this extends through to the
 > final board should be respected.
 >
 > I don't know how difficult it would be to sort the existing symbols into
 > those that Stuart's exception would apply to and those that are unknown
 > or specifically excluded from Stuart's exception.
 >
 > I do feel that this is an issue that makes the project less atractive to
 > a number of users.
 >
 > Thanks,
 >
 > Steve Meier

I've been trying to stay out of this one, but I have to agree with Steve 
here.  If I design a board I want to be free to sell the board along 
with an archive of the design files yet I don't always want to be 
required to release modified symbols or footprints or the rest of the 
design under the GPL.  I don't see this as being at all incompatible 
with contributing to the community.  As it turns out, *every* design 
I've done with gschem and pcb has been proprietary but I doubt anyone 
would/could claim I haven't given back to the community.




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