[sword-devel] iphone license

[Greg Hellings]

On Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 11:52 AM, Nathan Youngman <junkmail at nathany.com> wrote:
>
> Well, Apple finally accepted me for the developer program... not sure
> if this license (Jun 8th) is any different than before concerning FOSS:
>
> "If Your Application includes any FOSS, You agree to comply with all
> applicable FOSS licensing terms. You also agree not to use any FOSS in
> development of Your Application in such a way that would cause the non-
> FOSS portions of the Apple Software to be subject to any FOSS
> licensing terms or obligations."
>
> "...not conflict with the digital signing or content protection
> aspects of the Program or any of the terms, conditions or requirements
> of the Program or this Agreement..."
>
> [in that regard, I believe GPL v3 conflicts with digital signing, but
> Sword is GPL v2]

As I recall, the issue was much less with the signing than it was with
the NDA that was required by people in order to gain access to the
iPhone development materials.  I remember reading in the discussion
from the GNU people that there was significant difference in the
signing, but that our (sword's) main problem was with the NDA.  Since
releasing source code is one form of disclosing information about the
developer documents, according to GNU's lawyers, that meant that
software was not able to release its source-code under the
then-current NDA.

Of course, it could still link to Apache/BSD/LGPL licensed software
and include that, if the application itself was closed-source.  I
haven't read the document you linked to yet (between coursework and
preparing to travel for the weekend...), but the excerpt that you
included sounded more like it was touching on the possibility of
someone linking new software onto the iPhone which could cause Apple
to be required to open-source the iPhone components: i.e. utilizing
GPLv2 software, which, by virtue of Apple's "distribution" through the
iTunes tunnels might be construed, by someone, as requiring Apple to
open some of that.

I am no expert, but that was my understanding.  Do they make any
mention of allowing certain software licenses or not?  The interview
with the GNU people that I read was back right after the initial
beta-release of the software, and they were saying the NDA very well
might change by the time the app store was opening.

--Greg

>
> More:
> http://developer.apple.com/iphone/terms/program/iphone_standard_agreement_20080609.pdf
>
> ---
> Nathan Youngman
> Web: http://www.nathany.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
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