:: Re: [DNG] A problem with a license
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Author: Bruce Perens
Date:  
To: Ivan J.
CC: dng
Subject: Re: [DNG] A problem with a license
Do you want to talk with him, or should I? It should be possible to
convince him to change the license, so that we can go on with the package.

    Thanks


    Bruce


On Wed, Jul 5, 2017 at 8:46 AM, Ivan J. <parazyd@???> wrote:

> On Wed, 05 Jul 2017, KatolaZ wrote:
>
> > DR D1Rs,
> >
> > yesterday I was reviewing a new package made by Daniel Abrecht (DPA),
> > a little library that implements the sd_journal_* functions by
> > redirecting the calls to syslog. The project can be found here:
> >
> > https://git.devuan.org/DPA/sd_journal_shim
> >
> > This would allow to avoid to link against libsystemd0 if the program
> > wants just to use systemd logging facilities.
> >
> > I was about to move it under devuan-packages to build it for
> > experimental, but I noticed that the License (an almost regular
> > Expat/MIT license, for the rest) contained an additional clause:
> >
> > "This software shall not be used to encourage others to use the
> > systemd journal API, or any of it's sd_journal_* functions."
> >
> > so I immediately held my horses. My main complaint here is that this
> > clause makes the software non compliant with freedom 0 (the freedom to
> > use the software for whatever aim and task), so technically speaking
> > the package is not free-software, and cannot go in Devuan/main. Aside
> > from that, that clause makes the library GPL-incompatible, which would
> > undermine the good intentions of DPA. making the library practically
> > useless (unless the programs linking it are not GPL).
> >
> > In a word, I would not agree to include this package in Devuan/main,
> > unless that clause is removed. But just for the sake of clarity (and
> > because I think this can create a nasty precedent) I thought it was
> > good to ask here.
>
> That clause itself is not a big problem, but IMHO it should rather be
> moved to the README file or something similar rather than the license
> itself where it actually *is* putting restrictions and in the case of
> FSF would not be considered free software.
>
> --
> ~ parazyd
> GnuPG: 03337671FDE75BB6A85EC91FB876CB44FA1B0274
> GnuPG: https://parazyd.cf/FA1B0274.asc
>
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