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Date:	Fri, 31 Dec 1999 15:24:09 PST
From:	"David LaRue" <DLaRue@NetSrq.Com >
Reply-To:	scoug-programming@scoug.com
To:	< "scoug-programming@scoug.com" > scoug-programming@scoug.com >
Subject:	SCOUG-Programming: Public Licenses ?

Content Type: text/plain

Hello Peter,

On Fri, 31 Dec 1999 13:15:33 PST, Peter Skye wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I need help with this.
>
>What are the "public licenses" currently in use? I recognize a number
>of buzzwords, but I don't have a list. "Open Source", "GPL", Sun's Java
>"license" - what are the public licenses that currently exist?
>
>Any help greatly appreciated.

I'm not aware of a specific list of 'all' such terms.

"Open Source" refers to applications for which the source code is publically
available. Some such apps are distributed as binaries with an option to
download the source, while others are distributed as source only and you have
to compile for your target machine.

"GPL" stands for "GNU Public Licence". The GNU projects are "public domain"
projects with freely available source code. The GPL is an Open Source
concept. GPL differs in that while using the 'free' code, you are subject to
several restrictions. You can't sell it, or make modifications and not
distribute the source, or remove the GPL agreement, and a few other "standard
agreements". You are allowed to base your code on GPL code/libraries and not
publish your work. In other words, if you use a GPL PGP implementation, you
must make available the changes you make, but the (email) application using
the GPL PGP can remain entirely your property.

Sun's Java licence is an agreement to uphold the principles of Java.
Basically that you will strive to support/run all Java code. You can't extend
the language without going through Sun, or the standards committee. It is an
attempt to hold implementors to the principles that Java was created for.
They don't want 3rd party developers (say Microsoft or IBM) to implement key
features differently.

The primary reason for the Sun Java licence is to keep Java 'standard' as
opposed to the widespread destruction of the HTML standards. Microsoft and
Netscape were free to extend HTML but they took that to mean that they could
create partial or incorrect implementations that encouraged the creation of
web pages that competing customers could not read, even if they conformed to
the standards. Sun wanted to protect the meaning of Java as well as their
implementations.

I'm sure others can add more.

Happy Y2K... 6.6 hours to go,

David

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