Forum OpenACS Development: Re: Porting Project/Open (Intranet Module) to OpenACS 5.0

Dirk wrote:
<blockquote> I don't really understand your question. Anyway:
you use GPLed code somewhere => In case of
distributing the code you need to give it away
under the GPL
</blockquote>

Hi,

all the modules that contain a single line of GPLed code need to be GPLed, no doubts about that.

However, if somebody writes a new module from scratch, only using calls to the TCL libraries ("Clean Room Development"), then this module is not bound to the GPL and can be released under any other license and/or contract terms. Atleast this is what my lawyers say. (I would be really happy to received qualified feedback from you, because it would save me a lot of trouble in the future...)

And this is where the new Partner License would be employed to make sure that a fair share from "Implanters" revenues would be redistributed to the "Coders".

I know that's going to be a long discussions, and I'm really looking forward to it. Actually, the previous discussions I had here on OpenACS have really helped to get to this point.

I really believe that such a Partner License is more suitable for the "beforementioned boring ERP stuff" than the GPL. We'll see. The market and the communities are going to decide.

I think it's a natural reaction to reject new (unpleasently commercial) thoughts, but don't crucify me before the legal text is out, ok?

Frank