License Compatability

[Jacques Chester]

Hello all;

Michael Stutz wrote:
> 
> Richard Brice wrote:
> 
> > You can't use source code licensed with License X with source code
> > licensed with License Z (ok, that's a generalization but I don't
> > think it is too far off the mark).
> 
> Is it *possible* for a license to be compatible with another? Offhand

Some licenses are explicitly relaxed about the
introduction of multi-licensed code. The
Netscape/Mozilla Public License was written
with this consideration in mind.

It also depends on what you mean by 'compatible'.

[..]
> [Can anyone point me to any resources on the issue of license
> compatibility?]

No, but I can tell you that I'm trying to work
on it :)

Just as a note to all YA License people --

License compatability problems do not go up
in a linear fashion, per-license. They rise
quadratically. Every license introduces a
whole raft of potential conflicts of terms.

Good motivations for YAL:

* This license exposes us to significant
  legal risk
* This license will force us to break 
  contracts/licenses we have already
  agreed to

Bad Motivations for YAL:

* We need a proprietary advantage this
  license doesn't give
* We want to get media attention with a
  new license

Feel free to extend this list.


be well;

JC.