gpgme license

[marius aamodt eriksen]

* Marcus Brinkmann <brinkmd@klecker.debian.org> [020716 07:40]:

> There are two versions of the BSD license, the older one which has
> the obnoxious advertisement clause and which is incompatible with
> the GPL.  If gzsig has this license only, and not a better one, it
> is incompatible with gpgme's license.

i am well aware of the credits/advertisements clause.  it is not part
of gzsig's license.

> At some time, the university of Berkeley reconsidered their stance
> and and relicensed all their software to be under a new license,
> which is the BSD license with the advertising clause removed.  This
> license is then known under the name "modified BSD license" and
> qualifies as a GPL-compatible free software license.  If gzsig is
> under this license, you can comine it with GPGME.  Please note that
> the resulting combined work will be subject to the conditions of the
> GPL, because it is the more restrictive license of the two.  If
> GPGME were licensed under the LGPL, proprietary software could
> include it without becoming less proprietary.  As GPGME is the only
> program that makes it so easy to include cryptography into an
> application, this would give those proprietary programs an advantage
> without giving the free software community a bigger advantage in
> return.  Would you really like that?

yes, when i write code i want people to use it.  i want it to be
useful, new technology, and therefore i don't mind if large companies
use my code in properietary software.  if they are not giving back,
they are the ones who lose out on pushing their new technology.  but i
also understand that in order for many companies to survive, they have
to make some of their technology propertary also, eventually everyone
has to privde bread and butter for themselves and their families.
that's why i think the LGPL is at least a step in the right direction,
but so far, in my opinion, the BSD style licenses are the best (i
don't personally care much for the credits clause).

as for easy-to-include cryptography, do remember openssl with their
libcrypto.  it has become quite polished and easy to use.  openssl is
dual licensed, and both of them are BSD style.  so i don't think
anyone is getting an advantage like you claim.  gzsig uses openssl's
digital signature mechanisms for both DSA and RSA signatures, but it
lacked PGP support which i found handy.

marius.

-- 
> marius@umich.edu > http://www.citi.umich.edu/u/marius