[AGENT++] License & maintenance questions

[dominik.vogt at external.thalesgroup.com]

On Tue, Aug 31, 2010 at 06:20:37PM +0200, Frank Fock wrote:
>    The AGENT++ license does not permit any usage of
>    the API to build another (derived) API regardless
>    whether free or commercial. However, the
>    open source as well as the commercial and closed
>    source usage is freely permitted, if the API is
>    used to build an executable (could be also
>    linked as DLL/shared object).
> 
>    Switching to a GPL-License will not be backward
>    compatible for closed source projects.

The GPL isn't suitable for libraries at all because it forces the
program using the library to use the GPL also.  The right license
would be the LGPL ("lesser" or "library" GPL) which allows linking
without the need to provide the source code of the program.  Only
if you change the library yourself, you have to freely provide
the patched source code.

Actually, I can't see any problem with backwards compatibility of
the license because you are free to grant the additional rights of
the old license (changing agent++ source code without the
obligation to publish the changes under the LGPL) to anybody you
like.

The points in the LGPL are

* By distributing the library in any form (binary, source code
  etc.) you grant the same rights in the library to the person
  receiving the distribution.
* If you change the source code and distribute it you must provide
  your changes to anybody who wants them, free of charge.

Of course, as the holder of the copyright you are free to change
the license in the future, but not for versions that are already
published.  However, a code base that was written by several
people and licensed under different terms is highly problematic
regarding licenses.  If you ever applied any patch to agent++ that
was written by somebody else, that person can always claim
copyright for that portion of code and enforce their own terms of
licensing up to the point where agent++ can not be licensed to
anybody.

Ciao

Dominik ^_^  ^_^

-- 

Dominik Vogt