The term "Open Source" in your JX Application Framework license

John Cowan jcowan at reutershealth.com
Mon Dec 6 15:41:09 UTC 1999


I am writing to protest your use of the term "Open Source" in the license
for your product "JX Application Framework".  While this term is not
legally protectible as a trademark, it is commonly understood in the
open-source community to refer to a license compliant with the Open
Source Definition (http://www.opensource.org/osd.html).

Your license is not compliant, because of criterion 6:
"The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program
in a specific field of endeavor. For example, it may not
restrict the program from being used in a business, or from being
used for genetic research."

I am asking you, therefore, to relabel your license to remove the words
"Open Source" from it, in favor of something like "Non-Commercial Use",
or else to remove the restrictions against commercial use.

Your other license (for Code Crusader, Code Medic, etc.), on the
other hand, is genuinely Open Source.  Bravo!
-- 

John Cowan	http://www.reutershealth.com		jcowan at reutershealth.com
Schlingt dreifach einen Kreis vom dies! / Schliess eurer Aug vor heiliger Schau
Den er genoss vom Honig-Tau / Und trank die Milch vom Paradies.
		-- Coleridge (tr. Politzer)



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