OpenDesk.com License Proposal

[Philipp Gühring]

>Any feedback would be appreciated.

Wouldn´t it be enough to use the GPL instead of the ODPL?
Others can reuse the GPLed code in GPLed products.

> The intent is to protect
>OpenDesk.com developers, who want to contribute to a free, Open
>Source project. It does this by requiring that any code that modifies
>or extends the code covered by this license must also be released
>under this license.

That´s part of the GPL, as far as I know it.

>Proprietary development is still possible by using only source code
>covered under the SmartWorker license (LGPL), which allows linking to
>code covered by other licenses. In other words, developers can create
>a proprietary 'fork ' as long as they do not use any source code from
>the Open Source 'fork'. SmartWorker, the core technology, is
>compatible with both.

Yes, that should be possible with the LGPL/GPL combination too.


>1) Internal Use - No restrictions.

Ok, the GPL isn´t very descriptive on that point, but how to know
what others use internal?

2) Commercial Use for Private Installations (e.g. installing OpenDesk on an
Intranet)
  a) Modifications to Covered Code must be released under this license.

The GPL does that.

  b) Extensions to Covered Code (including code that links to it or extends
it) must be released under this license.

GPL.

  c) A prominent notice must appear stating that the source code is freely
available.

Do you really depend on that?
Didn´t a license stop wanting those notices?
I think it should be enough to ask the people in a friendly way to
make that notice, but not force them to do so.

3) Additional Restrictions for Public Installations (e.g. installing
OpenDesk at an Internet Service Provider)
  a) All public installations of OpenDesk.com must pass the OpenDesk.com
Compatibility Test.

Ok, that´s the first point which isn´t provided by the GPL.
But what will be when OpenDesk disappears? When there is no
Compatibility Test anymore?

I suggest something different. Create a brand "OpenDesk certified
compatibility, which you only grant, when they run the Compatiblity
test successfully. With that brand you can tell the customers what to
look for, ... And if the OpenDesk project dies, the people are still
allowed to use it. Create a brand and show it to the customers. Like
Microsoft did with "Windows 95 compliant"

  b) Installations of OpenDesk.com which are not compatible are allowed,
however all OpenDesk.com branding must be removed (including the name, logo,
graphics, icons, and colour schemes).

Do the following:
Create a version of OpenDesk, which doesn´t have the name, logo,
graphics, ... -> Separate both things. Don´t want the people to
remove it. Instead provide them the "plugins", when they succeed the
compatibility test.

Put that version under the LGPL, the "Applications" above it unter the
GPL.
Create and register the brand "OpenDesk", and do that Certification.


Any by the way, implement the features you told to. I
tried OpenDesk, but wasn´t very happy with it yet. 

Many greetings,
--
~ Philipp Gühring              p.guehring at poboxes.com
~ http://www.poboxes.com/p.guehring  ICQ UIN: 6588261