Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Mon, 11 Dec 2017 16:34:23 +1100
From:      Greg 'groggy' Lehey <grog@FreeBSD.org>
To:        blubee blubeeme <gurenchan@gmail.com>
Cc:        Jonathan Chen <jonc@chen.org.nz>, FreeBSD Ports <freebsd-ports@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: License and adopting software
Message-ID:  <20171211053423.GP78437@eureka.lemis.com>
In-Reply-To: <CALM2mEkxCZRm1nkNuiCxA7os5pwYz65A7c=xUAewbsLdh7KKeg@mail.gmail.com>
References:  <CALM2mEnHHGugavjmjri%2Bt=OnRaQogi0WDd19R-7DiH%2BNKVWi4Q@mail.gmail.com> <CAJuc1zMX0Xi0NWuTvUHRfDKRAmReFwHvOoLV6rQG07e=Erjtgw@mail.gmail.com> <CALM2mEkxCZRm1nkNuiCxA7os5pwYz65A7c=xUAewbsLdh7KKeg@mail.gmail.com>

next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help

--GIP5y49pbaVPin6k
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Disposition: inline

On Monday, 11 December 2017 at 12:24:53 +0800, blubee blubeeme wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 11, 2017 at 12:21 PM, Jonathan Chen <jonc@chen.org.nz> wrote:
>
>> On 11 December 2017 at 17:17, blubee blubeeme <gurenchan@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I like some old software that's <= GPL2 but it seems like the
>>> original developer is not and have not done any work on the
>>> software sine mid 2000.
>>>
>>> I'd like to pick up the project, fix bugs BUT i'd like to migrate
>>> from GPL to BSD license.
>>>
>>> How does one go about doing that? I have seen the GPL code but it
>>> could be re-written how would that affect me re-writing the code
>>> with a new copy center license?

If you rewrite the code from scratch, you can apply any license you
like, as long as you don't copy *any* of the code.  Determination of
whether you have done so or not is tricky, and you can end up creating
bike sheds.

>> You basically have to get the original author to reassign copyright
>> to you; after which you can do whatever you like to it. If you're
>> basing your new work on the original work, you have to respect the
>> LICENCE that it came with.
>>
> There has been no update since 2005 and I've tried many times this year to
> get in touch w/ the original author. There has been no response, that's why
> I am asking here.

Unfortunately, without the agreement of all parties who have
contributed to the software, you can't change the license.  Is GPL
such a big deal?

Greg
--
Sent from my desktop computer.
Finger grog@FreeBSD.org for PGP public key.
See complete headers for address and phone numbers.
This message is digitally signed.  If your Microsoft mail program
reports problems, please read http://lemis.com/broken-MUA

--GIP5y49pbaVPin6k
Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name="signature.asc"

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----

iEYEARECAAYFAlouGN8ACgkQIubykFB6QiMyagCfZ8D+x/ZX8a5kf76l6/OXOWwb
MkIAn3XDyPBI9IQFYaPD3C7GoZmTNC0n
=VLAT
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

--GIP5y49pbaVPin6k--



Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?20171211053423.GP78437>