Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 13:54:42 -0700 From: Chuck Swiger <cswiger@mac.com> To: hlwhyw@shtel.net.cn Cc: freebsd-net@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Can I port 4.4BSD-Lite's TCP/IP protocol stack soure code to my own OS kernel which is GPL Licenced? Message-ID: <2CE7D37B-CC67-4732-9562-6B2ED0857854@mac.com> In-Reply-To: <424543f9f5.3f9f542454@shtel.net.cn> References: <424543f9f5.3f9f542454@shtel.net.cn>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On May 4, 2008, at 6:32 AM, hlwhyw@shtel.net.cn wrote: > Can I port 4.4BSD-Lite's TCP/IP protocol stack soure code to my own > OS kernel which is GPL Licence? Modern 2- or 3-clause BSD licenses are fully compatible with the GPL, as are most "simple, permissive" licenses like the MIT/X11, Zlib, and similar licenses. The old 4-clause license with the "advertising clause" is not GPL-compatible. > I know that 4.4BSD-Lite is BSD Licenced. Is it legal to port BSD > Licenced code and change it to GPL licence? You are not allowed to remove the copyright statement or the original BSD license, but you can take BSD-licensed code and combine it with other software to create a derivative work which you then distribute under the GPL or even a proprietary license, if you wish. Eric Raymond and his wife, Catherine (who is a lawyer), have written some documentation about this specific issue here: http://catb.org/~esr/Licensing-HOWTO.html#id2787981 http://catb.org/~esr/Licensing-HOWTO.html#changing There was also a thread here: http://www.crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3:sss:15819:200804:ohmgonchmnecmnandlnk#b Regards, -- -Chuck
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?2CE7D37B-CC67-4732-9562-6B2ED0857854>