[repost] [j at uriah.heep.sax.de: For Approval: The beer-ware license]

[Wilson, Andrew]

Joerg Wunsch wrote: 

> As Rick Moen wrote:
>
>(Warranty disclaimer)
>
>> > This is not obvios at all to me.  What is it needed for?  Who needs
>> > it?
>
>> Mr. Kamp is willing to run the risk of being sued for warranty
>> obligations over a work that he passes out in public for no charge,
>> and over whose uses he has no control whatsoever?
>
> He doesn't.  He doesn't live in a legislation where this could happen.
> All other users of his license probably either.  There's 95 % of the
> world's population who do /not/ live in the USA.

Actually, he lives in a jurisdiction where -- try as he might -- he
might not be able to disclaim an implied warranty 
and limit of liability for his SW.  This aspect of EU law is why, 
for example, GPLv3 has language saying that in locales where the
standard GPL disclaimer is invalid, courts shall still use "local law
that most closely approximates an absolute waiver of all civil
liability."

Sorry, EU law isn't necessarily more friendly to SW developers
than US law.  I will say EU beer is better than US macrobrews,
though.  ;-)

Andy Wilson
Intel open source technology center