For Approval: Microsoft Permissive License

[Chris Travers]

On 9/24/07, Smith, McCoy <mccoy.smith at intel.com> wrote:
>
>  Well, here's one lawyer that will quote another (who does post on this
> list with some regularity):
>
> "The BSD license even allows software to be taken from that public commons
> and used in proprietary applications. There is no obligation for the
> licensee to return anything to the commons. But despite the absence of such
> an obligation, the BSD "gift of freedom" is being repaid over and over by
> companies
>
> and individuals who see more value to them in giving software away under
> an academic license than in keeping it private."
>

First, this does not require sublicensing since the BSD license addresses
every downstream recipient of the source code so licensed.  It does *not*
require that other content *added* to such a work carry the same license.
Hence these components can carry with them arbitrary copyright restrictions.

The only comment I have been able to find by Mr Rosen on this particular
issue of sublicensing is that it is not clear.  Please see the thread on OSI
Approval Process and read both Mr Rosen's email and the message it was in
reply to.

Also see
http://www.crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3:msp:13233:lipaophecobggbjdfkoa

My main point being that the BSDL works in this way.

Best Wishes,
Chris Travers
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