[AGENT++] License & maintenance questions

[Frank Fock]

Hi,

Although the AGENT++ license has not caused any trouble
in the past ten (!) years, I am aware of the fact
that many companies today, review their open source
usage and try to use a few standard classes of licenses
only.

LGPL is not a solution and GPL will not allow current
users to upgrade into new releases. A multi-path
licensing is not a solution either.

 From my point of view, the Apache 2.0 License is the
only way out.

The SNMP++ license and terms will not be modified,
as the code base copyright is owned by Peter Mellquist
and Hewlett Packard.

If there are no objection by the AGENT++ users, then
I will release AGENT++ 3.6 (then the next release)
under the Apache 2.0 license:

http://www.snmp4j.org/LICENSE-2_0.txt

Best regards,
Frank

On 01.09.2010 08:34, dominik.vogt at external.thalesgroup.com wrote:
> 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 ^_^  ^_^
>

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