[Psc] [Fwd: Re: IP and Licensing Questions]

Tim Schaub tschaub at opengeo.org
Thu Jun 4 17:17:21 CEST 2009


Good news (at last)...

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Re: [Psc] IP and Licensing Questions
Date: 	Wed, 3 Jun 2009 21:30:09 -0400
From: 	Adam Mishcon <adam at extjs.com>
To: 	Tim Schaub <tschaub at opengeo.org>
References: 	<4A09F9C3.5090708 at opengeo.org>
<4A1D6B86.8060102 at opengeo.org>
<670554c0905280843m491c7ecub6b429fae374d9d9 at mail.gmail.com>
<4A1EB711.5090804 at opengeo.org> <4A270BB6.8070107 at opengeo.org>



Tim:

I finally got a chance to talk with Abe about GeoExt and he is a big
fan.  No problem with the name and we'll send you something official
shortly.  If you'd like, we can work with you a little on the licensing
statements - Ext will need to be clearly GPL even if GeoExt is
alternative licensed under a FLOSS exception.

Just let me know how we can help.  And we wish you the very best.

~ Adam

On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 7:48 PM, Tim Schaub <tschaub at opengeo.org
<mailto:tschaub at opengeo.org>> wrote:

     Hi Adam-

     We are pushing towards an initial release of GeoExt next week.
      Though it would be great to have clarification on the licensing
     questions, it is most important for us to make sure the name
     "GeoExt" is ok to use.

     As we get a better understanding of the licensing, we can change our
     licensing FAQ.  However, we don't want to change the project name
     after advertising the release.

     Thanks for any answers you are able to provide.  Also, if you have
     responded with any answers, please let me know - I have an
     overzealous spam filter that I haven't completely tamed, and I want
     to make sure I haven't missed your response.

     Again, the draft website: http://docs.opengeo.org/geoext/

     Thanks for your attention to this.
     Tim



     Tim Schaub wrote:

         Hey-

         Adam Mishcon wrote:

             Tim:

             Checking with Abe...


         Thanks Adam.  And of course the gmap demo linked below should be

         http://extjs.com/deploy/dev/examples/window/gmap.html

         Tim

             ~ Adam

             On Wed, May 27, 2009 at 12:34 PM, Tim Schaub
             <tschaub at opengeo.org <mailto:tschaub at opengeo.org>
             <mailto:tschaub at opengeo.org <mailto:tschaub at opengeo.org>>>
             wrote:

                Hi Adam-

                Thanks for your response last week.  I'm following up to
             see if you
                have been able to have any discussion about these questions.

                While I don't want to bog this down by throwing in more
             questions,
                I'm tempted to add one more.  Please let me know if there
             is a
                better forum for licensing discussion.

                Additional question regarding the open source exemption for
                applications:

                If someone were to host an application that is a Google
             "Maps API
                Implementation" (e.g.

              http://localhost/projects/ext-2.2/examples/window/gmap.html),
             is it
                correct that the application would *not* qualify for the
             open source
                exemption for applications (because the gmap api code
             does not
                satisfy point 2.b.i on
             http://extjs.com/products/floss-exception.php)?

                If so, the implication is that someone would need to
             purchase a
                commercial license if they wanted to host a page similar
             to the one
                above, correct?

                Please let me know if I am misinterpreting this
             documentation.  I
                appreciate your help with these questions.

                Thanks again,
                Tim


                Tim Schaub wrote:

                    Hello-

                    I am writing on behalf of a community of developers
             working on a
                    project that extends ExtJS (2.x) classes with mapping
                    functionality from the OpenLayers library.  We have a
             number of
                    questions related to licensing (and intellectual
             property) that
                    we are hoping to get answers on.

                    First, we have been calling our project GeoExt, and
             wanted to
                    make sure the name was appropriate for us to use.
              Below is a
                    mockup of our issue tracker with a logo at the head.


              http://img.skitch.com/20090409-jksimuqt2axkrciw386bx2n3f4.png.

                    Please let us know if the name and look of the logo are
                    acceptable for us to use.

                    Our library [1] extends Ext components and data
             utilities with
                    mapping functionality from OpenLayers [2].  Our plan
             has been to
                    distribute GeoExt under a BSD license and to include
             OpenLayers
                    (with a BSDish license) in our releases.  We will 
provide
                    instructions with our releases on obtaining Ext from
             extjs.com <http://extjs.com>
                    <http://extjs.com>.  Our understanding is that we
             meet the terms
                    of the Open Source License Exception for Development 
[3].


                    We have received some questions from interested
             application
                    developers regarding licensing of applications built
             with GeoExt
                    and Ext.  I'll enumerate them below.  Thanks for any
             answers you
                    are able to provide.


                    1) If an application includes a script that is a 
minified
                    version of the
                    Ext source and is not produced by the Ext build tools
             [4] (e.g.
                    minified
                    with YUICompressor), I assume this is considered
             "Conveying
                    Non-Source
                    Forms" and not "Conveying Modified Source Versions"
             under GPL
                    v3.  Is
                    this assumption correct?

                    If so, the GPL says the object code provider must
             also convey the
                    machine-readable source.  One of the ways this can be
             done is to
                    offer
                    access to the source from a designated place (point
             6.d).  Is it
                    enough
                    for the application provider to include a notice in
             the minified
                    code
                    that references the license and gives instruction to
             download
                    the source
                    from Ext?  I'm assuming the application provider
             doesn't have to
                    provide
                    access to anything else themselves (e.g. the tools
             used to
                    minify the
                    source or the source itself).


                    2) A typical application would include Ext and
             application code
                    that calls Ext methods.  The Open Source License
             Exception for
                    Applications [5] suggests that code that is
             independent of the
                    library may be distributed under one of the listed
             licenses
                    (point 2.a and the paragraph preceding it).  Is
             application code
                    that relies on Ext (calls methods and accesses
             properties)
                    considered independent and can this code be
             distributed under
                    one of the listed licenses (assuming other terms are
             met)?


                    Thanks for your responses.  We're excited to be using
             Ext and to
                    be introducing developers of mapping applications to
             a rich new
                    set of features.

                    Tim


                    [1] http://svn.geoext.org/core/trunk/geoext/lib/
                    [2] http://openlayers.org/
                    [3] http://extjs.com/products/ux-exception.php
                    [4] http://extjs.com/products/extjs/build/
                    [5] http://extjs.com/products/floss-exception.php



                --     Tim Schaub
                OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org
                Expert service straight from the developers.




             --

             This communication is being provided for informational
             purposes only and does not constitute a binding offer on the
             part of Ext JS LLC or its affiliates. Neither is this e-mail
             to be construed as either amending any agreement between
             sender and recipient, or creating terms and conditions other
             than those contained in a definitive agreement between the
             parties.





     --
     Tim Schaub
     OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org
     Expert service straight from the developers.




-- 

This communication is being provided for informational purposes only and
does not constitute a binding offer on the part of Ext JS LLC or its
affiliates. Neither is this e-mail to be construed as either amending
any agreement between sender and recipient, or creating terms and
conditions other than those contained in a definitive agreement between
the parties.

-- 
Tim Schaub
OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org
Expert service straight from the developers.


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