Language question

[Mark Rafn]

On Tue, 6 May 2003, Abe Kornelis wrote:

> If I distribute my software under an open source license, I still
> retain ownership of copyrights and other intellectual property
> rights to the distributed software. Thus ownership of those
> rights might be transferred to another person or company, right?

Yes, except for the what you've specifically disclaimed under your 
license (the "exclusive right" to modify and copy).  You can certainly 
transfer additional rights under other licenses to another person or 
company.

> Now, when ownership of rights is transferred, any associated
> obligations should be transferred along with it.

I don't think so.  Any obligations you've made for yourself remain yours.  
You may be able to transfer them by contract, but it won't be automatic.

> I have a feeling that 'transferring ownership of obligations with
> respect to the software' is not the way to say that in english. Anybody
> happen to know how to formulate such a requirement in english?

I'm not sure what you mean.  What obligations are you transferring, and 
why would the entity to whom you are obliged allow you to transfer them?
--
Mark Rafn    dagon at dagon.net    <http://www.dagon.net/>  
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