Subject: Re: Copyright of Modified Ispell Code
From: Nils Barth (nils_barth@post.harvard.edu)
Date: Fri Jul 06 2001 - 03:06:08 CDT
On Fri, Jul 06, 2001 at 01:26:59PM +0500, Vlad Harchev wrote:
> On Thu, 5 Jul 2001, Aaron Lehmann wrote:
> > The problem with this that the original Ispell license (classic BSD)
> > is *NOT* compatible with the GPL. It has an advertising clause, even
> > in the version included with AbiWord:
> >
> > * 4. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this * software
> > * must display the following acknowledgment:
> > * This product includes software developed by Geoff Kuenning and
> > * other unpaid contributors.
> >
> > Since you included URL's to gnu.org, I'm sure you're familiar with
> > this problem, which is detailed well at
> > http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/bsd.html. Richard seems (for once) too
> > modest to point out that the advertising clause is incompatible with
> > the GPL (which prohibutes additional restrictions), but it is.
>
> Wow! That's very interesting! I wonder why nobody publically pointed this
> out.
The original BSD's license incompatibility with the GPL is mentioned at:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/license-list.html#GPLIncompatibleLicenses
AFAICT, FSF papers devoted to specific licenses discuss the licenses
in and of themselves (e.g., discussion of the Apple license and why
it's bad), while GPL compatibility is discussed elsewhere, as it is
perceived as a separate issue.
-- -nils
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