[ILUG] GPL clarification.

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Kae Verens (kae at verens.com):

> thanks, Rick and Gareth.
> 
> I'll have a good read through the BSD license. it sounds like what I might 
> want.

You're welcome.  Here's a short summary/comparison:

1.  Default licence that is inherent in copyright statutes & the
international Berne Convention on Copyrights treaty[1]:

Implied right is granted to download[2], compile, back up, and run the work.
NO right is granted to create (or distribute) derivative works.
NO right is granted to redistribute the work.

2.  Newer[3] BSD licence:

Redistribution is permitted.
Author attributions must be retained.   (This is redundant to copyright law.)
Derivative works are permitted.
Recipients may not use author's name to endorse or promote derivative products.
Warranty is disclaimed.

3.  AFL:[4]

Redistribution is permitted.
Usage of the work for any purpose is explicitly permitted.  (This is
  generally redundant to copyright law, but might not be in some countries.)
Performance and display rights are explicitly granted.
Author attributions must be retained.   (This is redundant to copyright law.)
  Modifications must be mentioned.
Derivative works are permitted.
Recipients may not use author's name to endorse or promote derivative products.
Warranty is disclaimed (generally).
Author warrants that he owns copyright title and any necessary patent rights.
There is a patent defence clause.
There is a severability clause.  (If any part of the licence is invalid,
  the rest survives.)
Any lawsuit must be in author's jurisdiction.
UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods is excluded.
Trademark licence's are explicitly disclaimed.


[1] Of course, this differs between countries.

[2] That is, if the copyright owner makes it publicly available.

[3] Older BSD licence had several minor-variant forms, but all included
a clause requiring that all advertising materials mentioning features or
usage of the work must carry an author attribution statement.
University of California rescinded this clause on July 22, 1999.
The result is "new BSD", here:
http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php

[4] http://www.opensource.org/licenses/afl-2.1.php