Re: [ccp4bb] The CCP4 license is ambiguous

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CCP4bb <-- 1999 <-- November 1999 <-- 30 November 1999

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Subject: Re: The CCP4 license is ambiguous
From: Kevin Cowtan cowtan {- at -} YSBL {- dot -} YORK {- dot -} AC {- dot -} UK
Date: 2007-07-04

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Subject: Re: The CCP4 license is ambiguous
From: "George M {- dot -} Sheldrick" gsheldr {- at -} SHELX {- dot -} UNI-AC {- dot -} GWDG {- dot -} DE
Date: 2007-07-04

Subject: Re: The CCP4 license is ambiguous
From: Charles Ballard c {- dot -} c {- dot -} ballard {- at -} DL {- dot -} AC {- dot -} UK
Date: 2007-07-04

Ahh, yes. And this is the result of nearly 3 years of trying to
square our desire to release the libraries under as open a license as
possible, while the lawyers try and cover the organisation's backside
in case someone wants to sue. I believe an attempt was made to
ensure that third parties could redistribute the libraries under
LGPL, but that founders a bit on the rocks of indemnity.

Why was 6.0 not released under LGPL, as 5.0.2 was, well, our lawyers
did not fancy trying to defend a damages case under English law when
the LGPL was used. So until there is legal precedent STFC lawyers
are going to remain wary of the GPL and LGPL.

Charles

ps- these are my views, not CCP4's or STFC's.

On 3 Jul 2007, at 20:25, Ralf W. Grosse-Kunstleve wrote:

> > > > The approach adopted by Coot, which is GPL'd, is to use the CCP4
> > > > 5.0.2 libraries, which are LGPL, along with some patches
> currently
> > > > maintained by Ralph Grosse-Kunstleve to address the more serious
> > > > deficiencies of the older libraries.
> > > >
> > >
> > > Are the libraries with the patches available publicly?
> >
> > They would have to be - that's the point of the GPL :-)
>
> The subset (!) of the CCP4 5.0.2 libraries that we need for the cctbx
> is included in in the cctbx bundles here:
>
> http://cci.lbl.gov/cctbx_build/
>
> A standalone tar file is also available, e.g. a specific version:
>
> http://cci.lbl.gov/cctbx_build/results/2007_05_29_2026/
> ccp4io_502_cci.tar.gz
>
> Or the current version:
>
> http://cci.lbl.gov/cctbx_build/results/current/ccp4io_502_cci.tar.gz
>
> BTW: We cannot redistribute the CCP4 6 libraries because of an
> indemnification clause. Being at a government lab, it is virtually
> impossible to get our lawyers to accept this clause.
>
> CCP4 offered a click-through license to "pass on" the indemnification,
> but that would have been more work technically than maintaining
> the older LGPL'ed libraries, and it would make the cctbx a lot less
> attractive for others, since everybody would have to deal with the
> indemnification clause when redistributing the cctbx as part of
> another package.
>
> Ralf
>
>
> Get your own web address.
> Have a HUGE year through Yahoo! Small Business.

CCP4bb navigation

CCP4bb <-- 1999 <-- November 1999 <-- 30 November 1999

Previous message:
Subject: Re: The CCP4 license is ambiguous
From: Kevin Cowtan cowtan {- at -} YSBL {- dot -} YORK {- dot -} AC {- dot -} UK
Date: 2007-07-04

Next message:
Subject: Re: The CCP4 license is ambiguous
From: "George M {- dot -} Sheldrick" gsheldr {- at -} SHELX {- dot -} UNI-AC {- dot -} GWDG {- dot -} DE
Date: 2007-07-04