Plan 9 license

[John Cowan]

On Sun, 20 Aug 2000, Kenneth Stephen wrote:

> 	Has this list already discussed the Plan 9 license (
> http://www.cs.bell-labs.com/plan9dist/license.html )? If so, could
> someone tell me whether it is considered open-sources or point me to the
> relevent messages in the archives (is there an web interface to the
> archives?).

We have.  I don't know where the archives may be, so I'll summarize.
RMS has opined that the Plan 9 license is unfree, and it does contain
several rather dodgy provisions.  In my personal opinion, these are
a matter of sloppy drafting rather than pernicious intent:

1) Lucent reserves the right to demand source code for your private
undistributed modifications;

2) commercial redistribution can only be for a "reasonable" price,
an undefined term that might lead to trouble later;

3) the license conditions are reimposed on your distributees, which
suggests that you must have an explicit contract with them (I think
RMS is overdoing it here);

4) the retaliation clause causes you to lose all rights if you sue Lucent
on any IP matter whatever, even if it has nothing to do with Plan 9;

5) the license imposes the U.S. export regulations on you if you export
the software, even if they would not otherwise apply as a matter of law.

The Lucida fonts bundled with Plan 9 are definitely not free, but
nothing compels you to use or redistribute them (they cannot be
modified or redistributed except as part of Plan 9).

-- 
John Cowan                                   cowan at ccil.org
C'est la` pourtant que se livre le sens du dire, de ce que, s'y conjuguant
le nyania qui bruit des sexes en compagnie, il supplee a ce qu'entre eux,
de rapport nyait pas.               -- Jacques Lacan, "L'Etourdit"