$NetBSD: README,v 1.1 2010/04/01 14:13:25 reed Exp $
The code within the src/external/gplv3 directories may have serious
legal impacts if you are a company and redistributing or changing
this code (as a company holding patents). We recommend you contact
your lawyer before using it.
Please do not import new GPLv3 projects without Board approval.
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Statement for The NetBSD Foundation's Position on the GPLv3
NetBSD provides source code with the goal for anyone to be able
to use it for whatever they want, as long as they follow the simple
licensing terms. Historically, most of the original code used
Berkeley-style licensing and NetBSD's own code uses a simple
two-clause Berkeley-style license. To summarize: modifications are
allowed, the source code may be redistributed and the binaries (or
executables) may be distributed as long as the copyright and
disclaimer is included. NetBSD's code may be extended and sold
without sharing back the source code changes.
NetBSD also uses and redistributes source code and binaries from
source code obtained from external third parties. This source code
is segregated by placing it in the src/external and sys/src/external
directories which are categorized per license. Examples of this
include: ISC BIND, Solaris ZFS, CVS, GNU Binutils, Postfix, X.org
X Windowing System, and other software that are primarily maintained
outside of NetBSD.
In some cases, the third-party software is licensed under terms
that conflict with NetBSD's own goals. For example, the GPLv2 is
a "copyleft" license -- it requires that anyone who distributes
executable or object code based on the source code, also make the
source code and modifications available to the public. (NetBSD's
own code doesn't require companies to share their changes.)
The GPLv3 (GNU General Public License Version 3) includes clauses
that may cause additional burdens to developers or companies who
may modify the source code or ship products based on the source
code. The following summarizes some of these issues:
- The license allows the user to circumvent measures preventing
software changes (#3). This is known as the Tivoization clause.
In addition, this same clause is an anti-DRM, anti-DMCA clause --
as the developer allows the end-user to attempt to circumvent or
break the technological protection measures. Also, any information
or authorization keys required to install or run modified versions
must also be provided (#6).
- The patent clause (#11) says the copyright holders grant a
non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free patent license. You may be
required to extend the royalty-free patent license(s) to all
recipients or future users and developers who use the code. In
addition, you may not initiate litigation for a patent infringement
(#10).
We recommend companies redistributing GPLv3 licensed code to
consult their lawyer before using it.
It is the intent of the NetBSD project to use as little GPL licensed
software as possible to provide maximum freedom for development
and distribution of NetBSD derived products.
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