From owner-freebsd-ports@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Oct 1 21:36:57 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ports@FreeBSD.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D7D501065672; Thu, 1 Oct 2009 21:36:57 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from linimon@lonesome.com) Received: from mail.soaustin.net (lefty.soaustin.net [66.135.55.46]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B52AE8FC16; Thu, 1 Oct 2009 21:36:57 +0000 (UTC) Received: by mail.soaustin.net (Postfix, from userid 502) id 11A698C08D; Thu, 1 Oct 2009 16:36:57 -0500 (CDT) Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 16:36:57 -0500 From: Mark Linimon To: Dmitry Marakasov Message-ID: <20091001213656.GA14925@lonesome.com> References: <20090930100658.GA99090@obspm.fr> <20090930110508.GA50565@hades.panopticon> <20090930161915.GA18014@lonesome.com> <20091001111417.GF50565@hades.panopticon> <20091001112323.GA26407@droso.net> <20091001114546.GH50565@hades.panopticon> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20091001114546.GH50565@hades.panopticon> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.18 (2008-05-17) Cc: ports@FreeBSD.org, Albert Shih , ion-general@lists.berlios.de, Erwin Lansing , freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: ion windows manager on FreeBSD X-BeenThere: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Porting software to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:36:57 -0000 On Thu, Oct 01, 2009 at 03:45:46PM +0400, Dmitry Marakasov wrote: > Now it's LGPLv2.1 with the only restriction that this software may not > be significantly changed while being distributed as ion3. I hate to replay this whole issue from the beginning, but apparently there is no other way. The author orginally contacted us with a legal threat because we were not in compliance with the 28-day clause. A long, acrimonious disucssion ensued. In that discussion, the author was asked "if we agree to meet that condition going forward, would you guarantee that this would remove any further legal threat?" and he said yes ... for now. But that he reserved the right to change his mind later. *depending* on what we did or did not do in the future -- not just in adhering to the *existing clauses* like the "significant" clause or "renamed" clause -- both of which he mentioned would be part of any lawsuit. Legally indefensible? Of course. Would that prevent a lawsuit being filed? No. Anyone can sue anyone for anything. Summary: What you see as "keeping a useful piece of software out of the port collection", I see as "protect the interests of a project that I have put a great deal of interest in time to." Again, I *emphasize* that this author has changed his mind in the past, mid-debate, on the interpretation of his ... unusual ... license. I also believe that it's quite likely going forward. mcl