Subversion Repositories vaca_plus

BSD Protection License

February 2002

Preamble

--------

The Berkeley Software Distribution ("BSD") license has proven very effective

over the years at allowing for a wide spread of work throughout both

commercial and non-commercial products.  For programmers whose primary

intention is to improve the general quality of available software, it is

arguable that there is no better license than the BSD license, as it

permits improvements to be used wherever they will help, without idealogical

or metallic constraint.

This is of particular value to those who produce reference implementations

of proposed standards: The case of TCP/IP clearly illustrates that freely

and universally available implementations leads the rapid acceptance of

standards -- often even being used instead of a de jure standard (eg, OSI

network models).

With the rapid proliferation of software licensed under the GNU General

Public License, however, the continued success of this role is called into

question.  Given that the inclusion of a few lines of "GPL-tainted" work

into a larger body of work will result in restricted distribution -- and

given that further work will likely build upon the "tainted" portions,

making them difficult to remove at a future date -- there are inevitable

circumstances where authors would, in order to protect their goal of

providing for the widespread usage of their work, wish to guard against

such "GPL-taint".

In addition, one can imagine that companies which operate by producing and

selling (possibly closed-source) code would wish to protect themselves

against the rise of a GPL-licensed competitor.  While under existing

licenses this would mean not releasing their code under any form of open

license, if a license existed under which they could incorporate any

improvements back into their own (commercial) products then they might be

far more willing to provide for non-closed distribution.

For the above reasons, we put forth this "BSD Protection License": A

license designed to retain the freedom granted by the BSD license to use

licensed works in a wide variety of settings, both non-commercial and

commercial, while protecting the work from having future contributors

restrict that freedom.

The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution, and

modification follow.

BSD PROTECTION LICENSE

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION, AND MODIFICATION

----------------------------------------------------------------

0. Definitions.

   a) "Program", below, refers to any program or work distributed under

      the terms of this license.

   b) A "work based on the Program", below, refers to either the Program

      or any derivative work under copyright law.

   c) "Modification", below, refers to the act of creating derivative works.

   d) "You", below, refers to each licensee.

1. Scope.

   This license governs the copying, distribution, and modification of the

   Program.  Other activities are outside the scope of this license; The

   act of running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the

   Program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the

   Program.

2. Verbatim copies.

   You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program as you

   receive it, in any medium, provided that you conspicuously and

   appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate copyright notice; keep

   intact all the notices that refer to this License and to the absence of

   any warranty; and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this

   License along with the Program.

3. Modification and redistribution under closed license.

   You may modify your copy or copies of the Program, and distribute

   the resulting derivative works, provided that you meet the

   following conditions:

   a) The copyright notice and disclaimer on the Program must be reproduced

      and included in the source code, documentation, and/or other materials

      provided in a manner in which such notices are normally distributed.

   b) The derivative work must be clearly identified as such, in order that

      it may not be confused with the original work.

   c) The license under which the derivative work is distributed must

      expressly prohibit the distribution of further derivative works.

4. Modification and redistribution under open license.

   You may modify your copy or copies of the Program, and distribute

   the resulting derivative works, provided that you meet the

   following conditions:

   a) The copyright notice and disclaimer on the Program must be reproduced

      and included in the source code, documentation, and/or other materials

      provided in a manner in which such notices are normally distributed.

   b) You must clearly indicate the nature and date of any changes made

      to the Program.  The full details need not necessarily be included in

      the individual modified files, provided that each modified file is

      clearly marked as such and instructions are included on where the

      full details of the modifications may be found.

   c) You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in whole

      or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any part

      thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third

      parties under the terms of this License.

5. Implied acceptance.

   You may not copy or distribute the Program or any derivative works except

   as expressly provided under this license.  Consequently, any such action

   will be taken as implied acceptance of the terms of this license.

6. NO WARRANTY.

   THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,

   INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY

   AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL

   THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR

   REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT,

   INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES

   ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING, BUT

   NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF

   USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND

   ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR

   TORT, EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE

   POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.