[Biojava-dev] FW: Request Permission to Reprint Web Page Documentation

[David Huen]

On Wednesday 09 Apr 2003 12:53 pm, Kudlach, Al wrote:
> Dear Sir or Madame:
>
> Last week I sent the message listed below.  Short fuse on my part, my
> apologies.
>
> I am in the final stages of editing my report to our Government client.
>
> If I do not receive authorization from your company to reprint the
> requested information by COB Thursday, 10 April, I will remove reference
> to your company's capabilities as they are currently listed in our
> technology report.
>
> Please forward a reply to me as soon as possible.
>
> Thank You,
>
Dear Mr/Dr Kudlach,
Thank you for your above query.  The BioJava project is a bioinformatics 
community-based project and there isn't a company or incorporated body that 
embodies the commercial or IP rights to it.  Instead, the copyrights to the 
component parts of software product that is produced by the project are 
held jointly by the (many) participating volunteers who have jointly 
consented to licencing it to any interested parties on the basis of the 
LGPL licence.

We don't have a logo either (which does seem a pity) which does make it 
impossible for us to authorise the use thereof.

I do not think there are would be any problem with publishing in your report 
a description of our software - the software is intended to be freely 
available on the basis of our LGPL licencing - nor in making reference to 
the term "BioJava" with reference to the software.

There is a company named Biojava Consulting (http://www.biojava.co.uk/) 
formed by some of the Biojava developers that offers technical consultancy 
and training based around this software.  As I am not a part of that 
company, I cannot speak on their behalf.  You may wish to contact them 
yourself directly.  As the software itself is LGPL-licenced, you do not 
have to negotiate with this company for use of the software product itself 
(including commercial use).  But they are a company and DO have a logo if 
that is what you need particularly.  As for how you might seek to relicence 
this product under terms other than LGPL , I don't know - it's not a 
situation we have encountered - and it is unlikely that any of us will 
think about it until the situation arises.

I hope this is of some help to you.  I may also help to explain why you did 
not get a reply earlier - none of us can actually act in an official 
capacity with respect to the product given the way in which it is 
developed!

Best wishes,
David Huen
BioJava developer



-- 

David Huen, Ph.D.              Email: smh1008 at cus.cam.ac.uk
Dept. of Genetics              Fax  : +44 1223 333992
University of Cambridge        Phone: +44 1223 333982/766478
Cambridge, CB2 3UH
U.K.