Legacy Approval - BlackBox Component Builder Open Source License

[Carlo Piana [OSI]]

Dag-Erling Smørgrav wrote:
> "Treutwein Bernhard" <Bernhard.Treutwein at Verwaltung.Uni-Muenchen.DE>
> writes:
>   
>> as an interested licensee, I would like to apply for approval of the
>>
>> 	>>The BlackBox Component Builder Open Source License<<
>>
>> as far as I can see this is a BSD type license and therefore an approved
>> license.
>>     
>
> Uh, no.  It's a copyleft license, and a poorly-written one at that.  I
> would strongly advise against redistributing software published under
> that license, or incorporating it into your own work.
>
> DES
>   

I'd say that it is somewhat an hybrid. While there is no clean-cut
copyleft condition, there is a condition that requires redistribution of
source code. Said condition extends to the corresponding source code of
any "accompanying" software that uses the software, and this is simply
outside the boundaries of copyright. And what does it mean "reasonable
conditions". Reasonable for whom, according to what?

Clearly those who have written it have a slack understanding of
copyright and the concept of derivatives.

I agree: stay away from this license because of the lack of
predictability of the outcome of applying it to your software.

Having said that, I don't see overly evident reasons why this should not
qualify according to the OSD. I hope somebody can successfully
contradict me.

With best regards,


Carlo