[sword-devel] Bereans and Sword and GPL vs PD

[fred smith]

--LQksG6bCIzRHxTLp
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Disposition: inline
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

On Tue, Dec 16, 2003 at 01:24:19PM -0700, Lynn Allan wrote:
> Martin G. wrote:
> >>> you are required to release it under the GPL since you copied source
> code
> >>> from Sword (e.g. rawverse.cpp) and mention crosswire as the copyright
> holder
> >>> of that code.
>=20
> Lynn wrote:
> > > I am not clear what it means to "mention crosswire as the copyright
> > > holder". I would appreciate clarification. What rights, if any, do I
> > > retain? What rights, if any, do I forfeit?

IANAL either, but...
Some authors of code (even GPL'd code) demand/ask that if you use their
code (upon which they have a copyright) in an app that you distribute,
that you "prominently mention" their contribution. As I understand it,
not being a lawyer, the kind of thing one sees in many commercial apps
that looks like the example below, would suffice:

	LCD Bible Copyright (c) 2003 by Lynn Allan
	Portions copyright by The Crosswire Bible Society
	Portions copyright by Joe Schmoe Software
	Portions copyright by ....

would display somewhere in the app, on a splash screen, or in an "about"
display somewhere.

and possibly in a README or release notes or other form of documentation
a slightly more verbose mention, stating what bits of software you used
from each of those contributors.=20

And keep in mind that if it is GPL code that you've incorporated, you have
the responsibilty to make sources for that incorporated code available to
your users should they so ask, so at that same place in the docs would be
a good place to describe how a user would go about getting it (from you).
> >
> David wrote:
> > Technically you keep all rights. The only rights you lose by making your
> > software GPL are the ability to prevent other people from modifying your
> work
> > with making those changes GPL and the ability to not make that source c=
ode
> > available. If you decide you don't want the project to be GPL anymore y=
ou
> > must take any and all code that you don't have copyright on (which is o=
nly
> > the stuff you write unless you have people give you copyright to their
> stuff
> > or you have permission) and you can then change the license. This does =
not
> > however change the GPL status of the previous code.
>=20
> Hi David and Martin,
>=20
> Thanks for the helpful comments. However, I'm still unclear on what it me=
ans
> to "mention crosswire as the copyright holder". I looked over the GNU GPL
> guidelines on actually using GPL and am still less than 100% sure how to
> proceed. Sorry.
> http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-howto.html
>=20
> Using the LcdBible software as a concrete example, I'm proceeding with th=
ese
> assumptions, and would appreciate clarification that points out "the error
> of my ways."
>=20
> * First, IANAL and apparently I'm also not very alert. Sorry to keep aski=
ng
> these questions. I never claimed to be "the brightest bulb in the box."
>=20
> * Please note that I am not that interested in maximizing what I can claim
> copyright on or avoiding responsibility for my cruddy code. I'm asking th=
ese
> questions mostly to get concrete answers to murky questions. I speculate
> that others on sword-devel have similar questions and this may serve to
> illuminate.
>=20
> * I infer that the above guidance to "mention crosswire as the copyright
> holder" does NOT mean that The CrossWire Bible Society is the copyright
> holder of the entire LcdBible software source code.

True. See above.

<huge snippage for the sake of brevity>
--=20
---- Fred Smith -- fredex@fcshome.stoneham.ma.us --------------------------=
---
  "For him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before h=
is=20
 glorious presence without fault and with great joy--to the only God our Sa=
vior
 be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, bef=
ore
                     all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."
----------------------------- Jude 1:24,25 (niv) --------------------------=
---

--LQksG6bCIzRHxTLp
Content-Type: application/pgp-signature
Content-Disposition: inline

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.0.7 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQE/37Fdwkl39+p0CJ4RAs9YAJwMMS8sgev2LiGvES35BaI0kVThQACfUvZs
KseWS/UVZoQ3XJ0UJubNr9M=
=v7hv
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

--LQksG6bCIzRHxTLp--