[License-discuss] TrueCrypt license (not OSI-approved; seeking history, context).

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Karl Fogel (kfogel at opensource.org):

> One potential problem I see is that the trademark protection language is
> so over-the-top strong that it might be construed to prevent even
> nominative use of the name.  For example, suppose someone distributes a
> modified version of Truecrypt and, on receiving a bug report about their
> derivative, posted a response on their website -- and possibly in some
> docs in their distribution tree -- saying "I don't know if upstream
> TrueCrypt at TrueCrypt.org has this problem too." 

Ah, sorry:  You're talking about the hyperprotective wording of
TrueCrypt License 3.0 clause IIIc.  Quoting with emphasis added:

  Your Product [...] must not present any Internet address containing
  the domain name truecrypt.org (or any domain name that forwards to
  the domain name truecrypt.org) IN A MANNER THAT MIGHT SUGGEST THAT IT
  IS WHERE INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT MAY BE OBTAINED OR WHERE BUGS
  FOUND IN YOUR PRODUCT MAY BE REPORTED OR WHERE SUPPORT FOR YOUR PRODUCT
  MAY BE AVAILABLE OR OTHERWISE ATTEMPT TO INDICATE THAT THE DOMAIN NAME
  TRUECRYPT.ORG IS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR PRODUCT.

That is noxious and overblown, but clearly does not purport to ban
nominative use.

(License is at:  http://www.truecrypt.org/legal/license
They make no effort to distinguish revisions by URL.)