[Xorp-users] Question regarding GPL license

[Ben Greear]

On 07/12/2012 07:18 AM, 张东亚 wrote:
> Hi lists,
>    Recently I am interest in a company named pica8 which stated they
> want to build an open source switch platform.
> 
>    I read their blog link regarding license issue
> (http://pica8.org/blogs/?p=137), they said they will choose the
> dual-license model as following:
> 
> Open Source License
> 
> We decide to use MySQL license model for PicOS, which is a Dual
> license model, including both GPLv2 and commercial licenses
> 
> GPLv2 licensed for the developer community
> OEM/ISV/VAR that does not wish to open source under GPLv2 must obtain
> a commercial license from Pica8
> 
> What is Pica8′s dual license model?
> 
> Pica8 makes its PicOS available under both the GPL and a commercial
> license. As a result, developers who use or distribute open source
> applications under the GPL can use the GPL-licensed Pica8 software,
> and OEMs, ISVs and VARs that do not want to combine or distribute the
> Pica8 software with their own commercial software under a GPL license
> can purchase a commercial license.
> 
>    However, according to the GPL license FAQ:
> 
>    Q: If I add a module to a GPL-covered program, do I have to use the
> GPL as the license for my module?
>    A: The GPL says that the whole combined program has to be released
> under the GPL. So your module has to be available for use under the
> GPL.
>         But you can give additional permission for the use of your
> code. You can, if you wish, release your program under a license which
> is more lax than the GPL but compatible with the GPL. The license list
> page gives a partial list of GPL-compatible licenses.
> 
>    I think it's not proper that they can release their software under a
> commercial license, what's your opinion about this dula-license model?

They bought the rights to xorp when it was BSD licensed (and/or the copyright
was fully owned by those that sold the rights to Pica8).  Pica8 seems to have
have forked off at around xorp version 1.6.

They do not have rights to the GPL changes that have gone into the xorp.org
project since then, but they can do whatever they want with their fork.

If they ever release source code that is licensed BSD and/or GPL, then
xorp.org could pull in those changes as wanted.  They cannot pull changes
the other way and still keep the BSD licensing option as I and most likely
others will not grant them the right to re-license the patches we have committed to
xorp.org under the GPL license.

That said, xorp is architected so that modules can be individual processes,
and the libraries that glue the processes together are explicitly BSD licensed,
so it can be perfectly legal to use proprietary modules in xorp.  I have no
idea if that is how Pica8 is implementing their code, however.

Thanks,
Ben

-- 
Ben Greear <greearb at candelatech.com>
Candela Technologies Inc  http://www.candelatech.com