[sldev] Re: Can I include source licensed under the 3-clause BSD? (Dale Glass)

Jason Giglio gigstaggart at gmail.com
Tue Jul 24 11:25:03 PDT 2007


Argent Stonecutter wrote:
> Since the "modified BSD license" allows you to take the code 
> proprietary, let alone GPL, so long as you retain it intact... you 
> should be able to contribute it yourself under your own code 
> contribution agreement with Linden Labs.


While this would probably be OK in practice, legally you don't have the 
right to grant or represent the things the contribution agreement 
requires you to do for BSD licensed code, or any code you don't actually 
own the copyright on.

Taking BSD code proprietary doesn't actually change its license, and 
taking BSD code into a GPL work doesn't make that BSD code GPL either. 
The derived work is indeed GPL, but the BSD bits are still BSD (and you 
still must comply with the 3 clauses).

So really, until LL says it's OK, I wouldn't do this.

-Jason



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