mirror of
https://github.com/mozilla/gecko-dev.git
synced 2024-11-08 20:47:44 +00:00
122 lines
6.3 KiB
Plaintext
122 lines
6.3 KiB
Plaintext
BSD Protection License
|
|
February 2002
|
|
|
|
Preamble
|
|
--------
|
|
|
|
The Berkeley Software Distribution ("BSD") license has proven very effective
|
|
over the years at allowing for a wide spread of work throughout both
|
|
commercial and non-commercial products. For programmers whose primary
|
|
intention is to improve the general quality of available software, it is
|
|
arguable that there is no better license than the BSD license, as it
|
|
permits improvements to be used wherever they will help, without idealogical
|
|
or metallic constraint.
|
|
|
|
This is of particular value to those who produce reference implementations
|
|
of proposed standards: The case of TCP/IP clearly illustrates that freely
|
|
and universally available implementations leads the rapid acceptance of
|
|
standards -- often even being used instead of a de jure standard (eg, OSI
|
|
network models).
|
|
|
|
With the rapid proliferation of software licensed under the GNU General
|
|
Public License, however, the continued success of this role is called into
|
|
question. Given that the inclusion of a few lines of "GPL-tainted" work
|
|
into a larger body of work will result in restricted distribution -- and
|
|
given that further work will likely build upon the "tainted" portions,
|
|
making them difficult to remove at a future date -- there are inevitable
|
|
circumstances where authors would, in order to protect their goal of
|
|
providing for the widespread usage of their work, wish to guard against
|
|
such "GPL-taint".
|
|
|
|
In addition, one can imagine that companies which operate by producing and
|
|
selling (possibly closed-source) code would wish to protect themselves
|
|
against the rise of a GPL-licensed competitor. While under existing
|
|
licenses this would mean not releasing their code under any form of open
|
|
license, if a license existed under which they could incorporate any
|
|
improvements back into their own (commercial) products then they might be
|
|
far more willing to provide for non-closed distribution.
|
|
|
|
For the above reasons, we put forth this "BSD Protection License": A
|
|
license designed to retain the freedom granted by the BSD license to use
|
|
licensed works in a wide variety of settings, both non-commercial and
|
|
commercial, while protecting the work from having future contributors
|
|
restrict that freedom.
|
|
|
|
The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution, and
|
|
modification follow.
|
|
|
|
BSD PROTECTION LICENSE
|
|
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION, AND MODIFICATION
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
0. Definitions.
|
|
a) "Program", below, refers to any program or work distributed under
|
|
the terms of this license.
|
|
b) A "work based on the Program", below, refers to either the Program
|
|
or any derivative work under copyright law.
|
|
c) "Modification", below, refers to the act of creating derivative works.
|
|
d) "You", below, refers to each licensee.
|
|
|
|
1. Scope.
|
|
This license governs the copying, distribution, and modification of the
|
|
Program. Other activities are outside the scope of this license; The
|
|
act of running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the
|
|
Program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the
|
|
Program.
|
|
|
|
2. Verbatim copies.
|
|
You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program as you
|
|
receive it, in any medium, provided that you conspicuously and
|
|
appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate copyright notice; keep
|
|
intact all the notices that refer to this License and to the absence of
|
|
any warranty; and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this
|
|
License along with the Program.
|
|
|
|
3. Modification and redistribution under closed license.
|
|
You may modify your copy or copies of the Program, and distribute
|
|
the resulting derivative works, provided that you meet the
|
|
following conditions:
|
|
a) The copyright notice and disclaimer on the Program must be reproduced
|
|
and included in the source code, documentation, and/or other materials
|
|
provided in a manner in which such notices are normally distributed.
|
|
b) The derivative work must be clearly identified as such, in order that
|
|
it may not be confused with the original work.
|
|
c) The license under which the derivative work is distributed must
|
|
expressly prohibit the distribution of further derivative works.
|
|
|
|
4. Modification and redistribution under open license.
|
|
You may modify your copy or copies of the Program, and distribute
|
|
the resulting derivative works, provided that you meet the
|
|
following conditions:
|
|
a) The copyright notice and disclaimer on the Program must be reproduced
|
|
and included in the source code, documentation, and/or other materials
|
|
provided in a manner in which such notices are normally distributed.
|
|
b) You must clearly indicate the nature and date of any changes made
|
|
to the Program. The full details need not necessarily be included in
|
|
the individual modified files, provided that each modified file is
|
|
clearly marked as such and instructions are included on where the
|
|
full details of the modifications may be found.
|
|
c) You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in whole
|
|
or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any part
|
|
thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third
|
|
parties under the terms of this License.
|
|
|
|
5. Implied acceptance.
|
|
You may not copy or distribute the Program or any derivative works except
|
|
as expressly provided under this license. Consequently, any such action
|
|
will be taken as implied acceptance of the terms of this license.
|
|
|
|
6. NO WARRANTY.
|
|
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
|
|
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY
|
|
AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL
|
|
THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR
|
|
REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT,
|
|
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
|
|
ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING, BUT
|
|
NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF
|
|
USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND
|
|
ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR
|
|
TORT, EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
|
|
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
|