[gentoo-dev] Re: License Interpretation

[Duncan]

Richard Freeman <rich0@g.o> posted 48ACBFBC.4070902@g.o,
excerpted below, on  Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:07:08 -0400:

> Gentoo doesn't distribute software (well, except to the degree that we
> mirror it).

It probably doesn't apply in this particular case, but note that Gentoo 
DOES distribute software in binary form on the LiveCDs, and prepackaged 
on the package-CDs as well.  

That definitely applies to GPLed works, for instance, and there's a 
discussion in the archive where it was pointed out that at the time, 
Gentoo wasn't in compliance, because we weren't ensuring our sources were 
available for three years, thus missing on the offer-to-provide,
good-for-three-years, clause, AND we weren't always satisfying the
make-sources-available-at-the-time-of-distribution alternative clause 
either.  (In that, at the time, for conference distribution and the like, 
we often made available LiveCDs, without corresponding directly available 
at the time of distribution, copies of the sources used to create them, 
not just patches, but the complete sources.)

This came up because it had been applied to Knoppix and etc and had 
forced them to change their ways, and Gentoo was interested in correcting 
the problem before it likewise became a legal one for us.  Again, note 
that the license specifies all sources and scripts necessary to build, 
etc, NOT just distribution applied patches, which is what many were doing 
and what was catching them off guard.  There was also some discussion of 
removing some of the outdated LiveCDs etc from distribution, so the three-
year-clock could start ticking, since until distribution has ceased it is 
being continuously reset.

Presumably that has been corrected now, and releng is properly archiving 
all sources used in the creation of the LiveCDs, etc, for three years 
after they've ceased distribution.  The alternative, as mentioned, would 
be to ensure that sources are always made available at the time of 
distribution, including at conferences and the like.  In either case, 
presumably we've stopped distributing historic LiveCDs and etc for which 
this was not done, so at least the 3-year clock is ticking, even if we 
can't easily go back and get the required sources should anyone call us 
on the 3-year thing before it expires.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman