rlm_sqlippool IPR (was: Automatic report from sources (radiusd) between 13.09.2005 - 14.09.2005 GMT)

[Frank Cusack]

On September 15, 2005 1:45:38 PM -0400 Alan DeKok <aland at ox.org> wrote:
> Nicolas Baradakis <nbk at sitadelle.com> wrote:
>> It's unclear for me whether it is a problem with the intellectual
>> property rights. For example, the OpenLDAP project requires that
>> a contribution includes a notice from the author.
>>
>> http://www.openldap.org/devel/contributing.html#notice
>
>   For one, I don't think the concept of public domain exists any more
> in the U.S.  But that's another story.

Sure it does.  The transition from copyright to public domain may not
exist so much, but public domain as such is alive.  Hanging by a thread
mabye, but alive.  FR even includes public domain source: lib/sha1.c.

>   It may be useful to require such a statement, but I think OpenLDAP's
> license is different (BSD-style), so a notice statement may be more
> relevant.  For us, if the owner of copyrighted code requests that
> their code be included in the server, that request is based on the
> knowledge and requirement that the product is GPL'd.

Not sure why you feel BSD license makes a notice more or less relevant,
but in general most people, and even many developers, are naïve when it
comes to software licensing.  sql_ippool is just one example of many.
You can't know for sure how Globe.Net intended to license the software,
especially given their demonstrated naïvete made clear by their failure
to specify license terms in their source.  If they decide they didn't
know inclusion meant GPL (or change their mind down the road and claim
ignorance), you can be sure the legal battle will be hell.  And I just
mean the frustration and time spent regardless of who is correct.

Let's note that Globe.Net could distribute the module themselves, under
any license they choose, no matter that FR is under GPL.  They could
also distribute a version of FR which has a module which TALKS to their
non-GPL code, thus making their code a completely separate entity and
not subject to GPL.

You really must have explicit license terms in order to include sql_ippool
(or any contrib software).

-frank