[Biojava-l] nasty stuff

[Jared Nedzel]

Matthew:

I am unable to get to the CVS repository at the moment.
Could you send me a copy a file header with the license?

If the code uses the Gnu Public License, then we probably
can't use it.  Here's the problem.  Millennium as a corporation
does not "sell" software.  However, we have large 
partnerships ($100M USD+) with pharmaceutical corporations.
They give us a pile of money.  In return, we give them research
results (e.g., drug targets).  One of the things that
they get for their pile of money is access to our technology.
That includes our software.  So, while Millennium does not
"sell" software in the common sense, it could be interpreted
in the strict sense that, in fact, we do.  I can't imagine
us every "selling" a Blast parser -- we're in the drug
business, not the software business.  But we do analyze
blast results and do need to integrate that function into
some of our programs, and we do distribute some of those
programs to our collaborators.

Under the Gnu Public License, if we integrate GPL software
with our code, then we might have to make all our software
open source.  Consequently, the suits prohibit us from using
some (most?) GPL software.

The Perl artistic license is something our suits can
live with.  The Perl artistic license basically says that
if you make any changes to the underlying code, you need
to provide those changes to the community.  And if you
distribute it, you need to distribute the standard 
version and not call it your own.

Here's the Perl artistic license, which you can get from 
http://www.perl.com.  Sorry about the formatting.

Jared

-------------------------



The "Artistic License"

Preamble

The intent of this document is to state the conditions under which a
Package may be copied, such that the Copyright Holder maintains some
semblance of artistic
control over the development of the package, while giving the users of
the package the right to use and distribute the Package in a
more-or-less customary fashion,
plus the right to make reasonable modifications. 

Definitions

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      the Copyright Holder, and derivatives of that collection of 
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      modified, or has been modified in accordance with the wishes of 
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Matthew Pocock wrote:
> 
> Hi.
> 
> We are currently LGPL. Does this cause you problems? We basicaly want
> something that protects us from having the code appropreated by a third
> party, but allows anybody to use it free of charge. I don't realy
> understand licensing (does anybody else out there?), but LGPL seemed
> closest. There should be a header on each file that states this license
> agreement.
> 
> I hope this helps.
> 
> Matthew
> 
> Jared Nedzel wrote:
> 
> > Sorry to have to ask this, but I have to keep the
> > suits happy...
> >
> > What are the license issues regarding the Biojava
> > code?  Can someone tell me where I can find a
> > copy of the license wording?
> >
> > If it is being released under GPL, that will send
> > our suits running screaming from the room and prevent
> > me from using it.
> >
> > If Biojava is being released under something akin to
> > the Perl Artistic License, then that is something we
> > can deal with.
> >
> > Jared
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Biojava-l mailing list  -  Biojava-l@biojava.org
> > http://biojava.org/mailman/listinfo/biojava-l
> 
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