Please add "Public Domain" to "license" list

Lawrence E. Rosen lrosen at rosenlaw.com
Sat Mar 15 00:58:20 UTC 2003


> But the U.S. government can only be sued if the U.S. 
> government allows it, and it can (and does!) produce public 
> domain software. And people are allowed to give things away, 
> even if a lawyer would advise them not to.

This is the only really good reason I've heard to state that public
domain is compatible with open source software.  But other than U.S.
Government works and works that have entered the public domain by the
passage of time, I'm still not convinced that there's ever a good reason
for those who write software, or those who use it, to rely on a simple
dedication of software to the public.  Use a license.  

/Larry Rosen

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