Re: license

[Dirk-Willem van Gulik <di...@covalent.net>]

On Thu, 4 Oct 2001, Volker Renneberg wrote:

> I tried to ask this question to some xalan-people but they don't reply
> anymore. What does the "apache-license" exactly mean? Because this a
> very general question I will go into detail. I've a test
> case (xslt-file) for xalan and those people told me it will be
> published with the apache-license.
>
> Does this mean that I give up all my copyright? (I developed with
> another xslt-processor, jd.xslt, then tried it with xalan and it
> failed.)

Please find the license attached. For any legal/organisational details
questions; the PMC of the XML group

	pmc@xml.apache.org

can help you further.

What it means is that any and all code distributed through the Apache
Software Foundation is under the apache license.

Paraphrased the license says that you can do with the code what you want,
that if it breaks you get to keep the pieces - but cannot sue the ASF or
the developers - and that you should give credit where credit is due.

Apart from that - anyone can do anything with it.

Apart from ensuring that the code the ASF distributed is clean and
unencumbered with confusing IP claims - it also  helps the ASF when
it has to actively shields the developers from any stray claims by third
parties. In other words; it protects you - the developer or contributor
in return for giving it to the ASF (and the world at large).

Any code or IP subitted to the ASF (through mailing lists, ftp, cvs, fax,
whatever)  is assumed to be under that license. When a committer or a
member actively 'commit's it into CVS he or she will make sure that the
code or contribution is acceptable and accepted under that license.

Either implicit (cause it was posted as a patch on a list) or by explicit
checking with the person proposing it. In addition each member has a
written agreement with the ASF that anything he or she 'commit's to CVS
is explictly under the ASF license/umbrella and that he or she will make
sure it is clean.

If it is a large contribution of a third party which is not connected to
the ASF - we ask that third party to sing a 'software grant' document.
This is a short one page document which says roughly a) here is a piece of
code for you to do with as you please, b) I currently have all IP and
rights to this code, c) I will make no IP claims from here on and d) I am
very sure that no one else has any IP or patent, etc, claims on it either.

Again - all this is to protect the developer from claims in the future and
to protect the code - to make sure any one can do anything with it :-)

Dw