[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #14703: Match Redistribution and use conditions for The Incutio XML-RPC Library

[WordPress Trac]

#14703: Match Redistribution and use conditions for The Incutio XML-RPC Library
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
 Reporter:  hakre         |        Owner:                 
     Type:  defect (bug)  |       Status:  reopened       
 Priority:  normal        |    Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  General       |      Version:                 
 Severity:  normal        |   Resolution:                 
 Keywords:  has-patch     |  
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
Changes (by hakre):

  * status:  closed => reopened
  * resolution:  wontfix =>


Comment:

 Replying to [comment:23 demetris]:
 > @hakre
 >
 > Supposedly, the problem here is that the licencing terms of the library
 are not clear
 No, that is not the case, the terms are clear. The author has expressed
 the wish to grant usage-rights under the terms of the BSD License. The
 choice of the license is not questioned nor considered problematic, at
 least not by me any longer. [http://hakre.wordpress.com/2010/08/27
 /wordpress-licensing-issues-the-second-24-hours/ I mistakenly thought the
 BSD would not be GPL compliant], but as it's known now, this is not the
 case here.

 > or that they are not clearly stated.
 The clarity of the terms of the BSD License are not questioned by me in
 this ticket.

 The only difference I can see so far is, that you assume (as ryan) that
 linking is eligble as retaining the license text (leaving aside for the
 moment that a website is linked that explains how to create a BSD license
 and retaining a template for creating a BSD-styled-license and ''not'' a
 concrete license).

 Linking a license w/o providing a copy at once can be problematic for
 removeable-media distributions of wordpress, like on DVDs in magazines.
 Opening the software package, the license terms are not available because
 the link provided might not work in the user's interface (e.g. when the
 reading system has no network or internet access). There are other
 examples where linking works so no need to discuss the matter of facts
 here, it's just to give an example.

 I for myself try at least to find out if requirements are met, because
 that's the  indicator of being able to redistribute the code or not. This
 naturally implies to question the current practice. As long as this is in
 progress - and I still see inaccuracy and substantial questions in this
 dicussion here that should be clarified first, I prefer to keep the issue
 open. Or would you like to say to me, that I'm not eligble to care about
 this issue properly, that I have no right doing so?

 I'm open in the discussion: If someone can provide a professional third-
 party opinion to ensure that this kind of linking fullfills the retainment
 requirements and is a somehow recommended practice for a free software
 project, fine. Share it.

 I try to get such a professional opinion as well to better deal with the
 dissens, and to learn more about the implications. But this must not rely
 on my own. So if you like to help to clarify the codes licensing, you're
 welcome.

 The patch was just a suggestion on how to practically reduce impact of
 whatever opinion might reveal. It just might be the case that it's
 adviseable to not rely on one certain opinion only, but to find a solution
 that always/mostly fits, like providing the license text direclty in the
 package, as we do with the GPL license text as well.

 > We don’t need to start changing things in the licencing terms of third-
 party libraries.
 Hmm, this is not a change of the licensing terms of the third-party IXR
 library, or at least not intended so. If you still think so that it got
 changed, please reference a concrete change I did to the original BSD
 licensing terms in my patch, so this can be fixed.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/14703#comment:24>
WordPress Trac <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/>
WordPress blogging software