ConTeXt licensing

ConTeXt licensing

[Joseph Wright]

Hello all,

A question came up recently on the tex.sx site about ConTeXt licensing:

http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/12431/using-context-commercially

I have a feeling I've seen something similar elsewhere recently, but
cannot be sure where.

This question seems to require an 'official' response, as things do seem
a little confusing (at least to me). I'm happy to post something as a
reply to the question if I know what the position is (or indeed if it is
"read what we've put and go with it".)
-- 
Joseph Wright
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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Aditya Mahajan]

On Tue, 1 Mar 2011, Joseph Wright wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> A question came up recently on the tex.sx site about ConTeXt licensing:
>
> http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/12431/using-context-commercially
>
> I have a feeling I've seen something similar elsewhere recently, but
> cannot be sure where.

Perhaps: http://tex.stackexchange.com/posts/3507/revisions

Aditya
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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Martin Schröder]

2011/3/1 Joseph Wright <joseph.wright@morningstar2.co.uk>:
> This question seems to require an 'official' response, as things do seem
> a little confusing (at least to me). I'm happy to post something as a

You won't get a more "official" response than
http://www.pragma-ade.com/general/manuals/mreadme.pdf

". . . and don’t bother discussing licence issues and related things
with us for the mere sake of discussing licence stuff."

If someone wants to use ConTeXt commercially I advise her to contact
Pragma ADE, if only to get a support contract (if they offer such a
thing).

Best
   Martin
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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Miguel Queiros]

> You won't get a more "official" response than
> http://www.pragma-ade.com/general/manuals/mreadme.pdf
> 
> ". . . and don’t bother discussing licence issues and related things
> with us for the mere sake of discussing licence stuff."
> 
> If someone wants to use ConTeXt commercially I advise her to contact
> Pragma ADE, if only to get a support contract (if they offer such a
> thing).

http://www.pragma-ade.com/general/manuals/mreadme.pdf

In the readme above we can read on page 2 (about the code it self):
"The program code (i.e. anything not under the /doc subtree) is
distributed under the Creative Commons GNU GPL"

and

"The GNU General Public License is a Free Software license. Like any
Free Software license, it grants to you the four following freedoms:
The freedom to run the program for any purpose."

So I don't really see any issues about using Context commercially,
as long as someone is not trying to create a new system named
"MyOwnTex" that is based on Context, and trying to distribute it 
without obeying Context's license. That's what it's told on the
end of page 2 and beginning of page 3 of the readme:

"If you modify your copy or copies of the program or any portion of it,
or develop a program based upon it, you may distribute the resulting
work provided you do so under the GNU General Public License. Any
translation of the GNU General Public License must be accompanied by the
GNU General Public License."

As someone said the Docs (page 4 of the readme) are shared with a
different, noncommercial license.

Miguel Queirós
 



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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Taco Hoekwater]

On 1 mrt. 2011, at 22:37, Joseph Wright <joseph.wright@morningstar2.co.uk> wrote:

> Hello all,
> 
> A question came up recently on the tex.sx site about ConTeXt licensing:
> 
> http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/12431/using-context-commercially
> 
> I have a feeling I've seen something similar elsewhere recently, but
> cannot be sure where.
> 
> This question seems to require an 'official' response, as things do seem
> a little confusing (at least to me). I'm happy to post something as a
> reply to the question if I know what the position is (or indeed if it is
> "read what we've put and go with it".)

I will reply on tex.sx  in an hour or two (have to travel first)

Best wishes,

Taco
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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Mojca Miklavec]

On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 22:37, Joseph Wright wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> A question came up recently on the tex.sx site about ConTeXt licensing:
>
> http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/12431/using-context-commercially

I really like the particular answer pointing to bugroff licence:
    http://www.reocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/5947/bugroff.html

Mojca
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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Matija Šuklje]

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On Wednesday 02 of March 2011 11:30:03 Mojca Miklavec wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 22:37, Joseph Wright wrote:
> > Hello all,
> > 
> > A question came up recently on the tex.sx site about ConTeXt licensing:
> > 
> > http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/12431/using-context-commercially
> 
> I really like the particular answer pointing to bugroff licence:
>     http://www.reocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/5947/bugroff.html

If I was a touchy fellow I'd feel offended by it, but being a well mannered 
and weathered guy, I'll just let the bugger pass me by :P

Also it shows the author doesn't know much about how laws are made and what's 
the point of them. That being said, I do think that much of the legal, 
economic and social system (incl. copyright, patents) needs to change quite a 
bit. But that'd be off topic now.

*On topic* I'd also _very_ much like to see what's up with ConTeXt licensing. 
From what it seems it looks like TeX Live is relicensing ConTeXt in its 
distribution. And both helping the Gentoo Licensing team and being Deputy 
Legal Coordinator of the FSFE, that's something that is my concern.


cheers,
Matija
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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Mojca Miklavec]

On Wed, Mar 2, 2011 at 11:40, Matija Šuklje wrote:
>
> *On topic* I'd also _very_ much like to see what's up with ConTeXt licensing.
> From what it seems it looks like TeX Live is relicensing ConTeXt in its
> distribution. And both helping the Gentoo Licensing team and being Deputy
> Legal Coordinator of the FSFE, that's something that is my concern.

If you volunteer some time, I invite you to lunch to help me/us figure
out what to do with licence of hyph-utf8 (both package itself and
included patterns). Or dinner before/after foss meeting tomorrow ...

Targeting TeX Live 2011 if possible ...

Mojca
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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Martin Schröder]

2011/3/2 Mojca Miklavec <mojca.miklavec.lists@gmail.com>:
> I really like the particular answer pointing to bugroff licence:
>    http://www.reocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/5947/bugroff.html

It's a nice joke, but for practical purposes a one-clause BSD
license allows the same freedoms, but is legally clear.

Best
   Martin
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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Khaled Hosny]

On Wed, Mar 02, 2011 at 11:41:58AM +0100, Martin Schröder wrote:
> 2011/3/2 Mojca Miklavec <mojca.miklavec.lists@gmail.com>:
> > I really like the particular answer pointing to bugroff licence:
> >    http://www.reocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/5947/bugroff.html
> 
> It's a nice joke, but for practical purposes a one-clause BSD
> license allows the same freedoms, but is legally clear.

I was about to say that, though I'm pro strong copyleft (AKA GPL when
fits) myself, though I highly doubt, for practical reasons ;), that any
one can take a BSD licensed ConTeXt and make a closed source derivative
with any substantial improvement.

Regards,
 Khaled

-- 
 Khaled Hosny
 Egyptian
 Arab
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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Martin Schröder]

2011/3/2 Khaled Hosny <khaledhosny@eglug.org>:
> I was about to say that, though I'm pro strong copyleft (AKA GPL when
> fits) myself, though I highly doubt, for practical reasons ;), that any
> one can take a BSD licensed ConTeXt and make a closed source derivative
> with any substantial improvement.

That may be legally possible. But who wants to support such a beast?
Seriously: Using ConTeXt mkIV without the possibility of support by Hans
et.al. is a desaster waiting to happen.

Best
   Martin
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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Khaled Hosny]

On Wed, Mar 02, 2011 at 12:08:35PM +0100, Martin Schröder wrote:
> 2011/3/2 Khaled Hosny <khaledhosny@eglug.org>:
> > I was about to say that, though I'm pro strong copyleft (AKA GPL when
> > fits) myself, though I highly doubt, for practical reasons ;), that any
> > one can take a BSD licensed ConTeXt and make a closed source derivative
> > with any substantial improvement.
> 
> That may be legally possible. But who wants to support such a beast?
> Seriously: Using ConTeXt mkIV without the possibility of support by Hans
> et.al. is a desaster waiting to happen.

That what I meant. Actually if someone succeeds doing that, it is well
earned money :p

Regards,
 Khaled

-- 
 Khaled Hosny
 Egyptian
 Arab
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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Taco Hoekwater]

Hi,

On 03/02/11 11:41, Martin Schröder wrote:
> 
> It's a nice joke, but for practical purposes a one-clause BSD
> license allows the same freedoms, but is legally clear.

Same for me, but in collaborative works, that is usually not doable.
Once a single line of a project is GPL-ed, all of it has to be.


Anyway, here is what I wrote:

http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/12431/using-context-commercially

I am talking for Hans there, but I believe I am allowed to. Hans,
if you disagree with anything I wrote, please tell me and I will
correct the answer and apologize.

Best wishes,
Taco
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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Hans Hagen]

On 2-3-2011 12:10, Taco Hoekwater wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On 03/02/11 11:41, Martin Schröder wrote:
>>
>> It's a nice joke, but for practical purposes a one-clause BSD
>> license allows the same freedoms, but is legally clear.
>
> Same for me, but in collaborative works, that is usually not doable.
> Once a single line of a project is GPL-ed, all of it has to be.
>
>
> Anyway, here is what I wrote:
>
> http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/12431/using-context-commercially
>
> I am talking for Hans there, but I believe I am allowed to. Hans,
> if you disagree with anything I wrote, please tell me and I will
> correct the answer and apologize.

sounds ok to me,

Hans



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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Norbert Preining]

On Mi, 02 Mär 2011, Martin Schröder wrote:
> *On topic* I'd also _very_ much like to see what's up with ConTeXt licensing.
> From what it seems it looks like TeX Live is relicensing ConTeXt in its

??? How do you come to that conclusion?

TeX Live is *NOT* relicensing *anything*. THe REDAME and COPYRIGHT clearly
states that the files have different licenses.

Please be more specific when you state things like that.

Best wishes

Norbert
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Re: ConTeXt licensing

[Matija Šuklje]

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On Thursday 03 of March 2011 03:49:47 Norbert Preining wrote:
> On Mi, 02 Mär 2011, Martin Schröder wrote:
> > *On topic* I'd also _very_ much like to see what's up with ConTeXt
> > licensing. From what it seems it looks like TeX Live is relicensing
> > ConTeXt in its
> 
> ??? How do you come to that conclusion?
> 
> TeX Live is *NOT* relicensing *anything*. THe REDAME and COPYRIGHT clearly
> states that the files have different licenses.
> 
> Please be more specific when you state things like that.

This is a situation AFAIR was discussed a few months ago on the Gentoo 
Licensing mailing list. If you are correct (and that was my position back 
then) then in Gentoo the licenses of TeX Live ebuilds should be fixed.

I'll get back to you when I find time to look research it a bit deeper.


cheers,
Matija

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