Brian Thomas Sniffen wrote:
Dalibor Topic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Brian Thomas Sniffen wrote:
Raul Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
It's illegal in the context of copyrights to make copies for
use in nuclear power plants (which conflicts with the fields
of endeavor part of the DFSG).
No, it isn't. It doesn't say you can't do so -- just that you've
acknowledged that the software isn't licensed-by-the-DOE for that or
designed for that.
Who is DOE and why is he licensing Sun's software? The BSD+ license
doesn't mention a DOE, afaik.
The Department of Energy licenses nuclear power facilities in the
USA, and licenses equipment and software for use there. That license
is what this is talking about.
Thanks a lot for clearing that up, Brian. I think if the license
explicitely said something about the USA Department of Energy provisions
on software licensing in nuclear facilities, it would be much easier to
figure out, though it still may be unnecessary to reinforce common local
laws. I usually don't get to re-write local laws, just because I license
software, right?
The intent is now clearer, but as it stands, the actual text used is too
ambiguous, as can be seen by the regular discussions surrounding the use
of BSD+ in Sun-owned code contributed to open-source projects. I guess
part of that is due to an international audience, which is not familiar
with local USA laws, and part of it due to a non-nuclear audience, which
is not familiar with provisions for running nuclear facilities in
general, and in the USA in particular.
So for the benefit of us mere developrs outside the nuclear and legal
professions in the USA, I'd kindly suggest that Sun rewrites the
non-nuclear part of the BSD+ license into something more precise.
As for DFSG freenes, I have trouble figuring out if it would prohibit me
from running javacc in a secret nuclear reactor in North Korea outside
the reach of DOE and DOJ.[1]. IANAL, just an interested developer ;)
cheers,
dalibor topic
[1] I have no idea whether the North Korea follows DOE provisions on
licensing software in their secret nuclear facilities. Hypothetical
question, no threat to USA Department of National Security implied. Or
whatever the Department for that is called. ;)