From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
Subject: [9fans] Aug 20 license modification
Message-ID: <20020907124249.B18375@cnm-vra.com>
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From: Micah Stetson <micah@cnm-vra.com>
Date: Sat,  7 Sep 2002 12:42:49 -0700
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I hate to raise the spectre of license wars again, but I really
must ask about this.

I just updated my desktop machine from sources and noticed that
the LICENSE file was changed.  Diffing against the version on
an ISO image I had lying around, I noticed something very
disturbing:

	No right is granted to use, reproduce, modify, execute,
	display, perform, distribute or sublicense the Original
	Software or any modules or portions thereof as a part
	of, or in conjunction with, any other operating system
	or application.

Doesn't this disallow the incorporation of any Plan 9 code into
any other program/system?  Wouldn't this prevent things like the
port of factotum to unix (with integration into the system) that
has been talked about on 9fans this last week?

Also I noticed a lot of phrases like this:

	as [part of] an operating system substantially similar to
	functioning Plan 9 software

in the places talking about allowed modification and
redistribution.  Looks like this bars any major changes to the
system.

So if the first clause above disallows reuse of the code in other
products and the other phrase I quoted disallows major changes to
the system.  Does this mean that all we are allowed to do is fix
bugs and add minor features?  Must all major innovation come from
the Labs?  I don't for an instant imagine that anything of the
sort is the intent of those who work on Plan 9 within Lucent, but
what are we who are outside to do?

Also, the last line of the license file says still says that it's
version 1.1 of the license modified on 09/20/00.  This cant' be
right as the line is identical on the version I have without the
above changes.

Hoping I'm reading it all wrong,

Micah