Re: [9fans] Plan 9 Binaries and Source for Free

["rob pike" <rob@plan9.bell-labs.com>]

This is not the forum for a detailed legal exegesis, but Mr. Hudson's
thoughtful comments deserve a response.

Legal terminology is not the best medium for subtlety, so
I've asked our lawyers for clarification.  The intent of this clause:

	You agree to provide the Original Contributor, at its request, with a
	copy of the complete Source Code version, Object Code version and
	related documentation for Modifications created or contributed to by
	You if used for any purpose.

is very simple: we've given you something for free, and if you turn around
and make products from it, we should have permission to see what you've
done.  Share and share alike.  The idea is primarily to prevent people from
making stuff from Plan 9 and then making it available to others but excluding
us.  It's certainly not to grab your secret stuff; quite the opposite: it's to make
sure we get equal access to your public stuff, in the spirit of the original
Plan 9 distribution.

The 'legal action' clause for similar reasons perhaps reads more nastily
than its intent.  It could probably be clearer, but its intent is simple: to
protect you from suing people about Plan 9 when they've given it to you
for free in the first place.

	> And my deep apologizes if I
	> have misread the license and spread misinformation as a result.

'Misread' is too strong, but I do believe you're reading too hard.
The idea was and is an honest open source agreement, and I think the
license is a workable one for everyone.

Speaking for the Bell Labs people, I can say we're very happy to have
our stuff out for people to play with.

-rob