[sldev] Re: Violating the GPL by looking (Re: Voice Module)

Ryan McDougall ryan at 3di.jp
Mon Mar 17 18:59:25 PDT 2008


On Mon, 2008-03-17 at 16:25 -0700, Rob Lanphier wrote:
> On 3/16/08 9:01 PM, Ryan McDougall wrote:
> > The issue is _not_ reading any form of GPL then whistling dixie; the
> > issue is reading SL's client viewer and writing BSD code for a related
> > project, OpenSim. 
> >
> > It creates a situation where you can be accused to violating the GPL by
> > trans-coding, intentionally or not, SL viewer code from GPL to BSD, and
> > open up a small community to a legal dark cloud.
> >
> > Me personally, I'm not a big fan of that interpretation, but its one
> > upheld by US court case law, risk-averse corporate lawyers for a major
> > 3-letter computer company, and more importantly risk-averse OpenSim core
> > developers.
> >
> > If LL wanted to clarify the situation, they're welcome to draw up a
> > covenant not to sue OpenSim or its developers over the matter. That's by
> > far my favorite option.
> >
> >   
> 
> What *exactly* would such a statement say?  Can you point me to an 
> example of any company who publishes GPL source code that has ever done 
> anything like this?
> 
> Rob

Don't think I can, since its a risk actually that all programmers at all
times face, whether it be from being accused of transgressing License A,
or copyright B, or patent C -- any and all IP -- especially in the US
where such things are taken very seriously.

What makes this case "unique" is that this is really an issue specific
to LL's relationship to OpenSim. OpenSim's core developers do not appear
to trust LL period. Therefore I suggest, Rob, that you and perhaps other
LL stakeholders might want to speak directly with them about this
specific issue, since I in no way represent OpenSim core developers (I'm
just relating what they told me).

As examples of past behavior that elicits concern, I believe the
examples of SCO (good turned evil) and mp3/Fraunhofer (ambiguous
assertion of IP rights) as situations OpenSim feels it should avoid.

A number of large companies interesting in OpenSim have no doubt had
their lawyers influence this conservative stance.

What something I would suggest might look like is: "LL announces a
partnership with OpenSim for extending SL metaverse, including cross
licensing of IP rights, and a GPL exception for OpenSim's BSD". But
that's just off the top of my head. Surely LL lawyers could do better in
cooperation with OpenSim core devs (which I am not one).

-- 
Software Engineer
http://www.3di.jp

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not constitute company policy unless expressly stated.



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