Sobre la licencia de componentes FIBplus

[Casimiro Noteví]

Y esta es la licencia de fibplus en el 2001

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LICENSING INFORMATION
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The FIBPlus Trustware License is based on the Trustware License of CPS -
Computer Programming Solutions of Mesa Arizona USA.

FIBPlus is based on FIBComponents by Gregory Deatz ([email protected]).
The author of FIBPlus is Sergey Buzadzhy ([email protected]).

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FIBPlus is a trustware product
----------------------------------

FIBPlus is distributed in sources and we have no opportunity to control
completely how the library is used. It means that the use of the library mainly
is based on our trust to the FIBPlus users. But we permit generous registration
of various licenses which regulate the rights of the FIBPlus users.

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Evaluation License
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If you have an evaluation version then these files and any of their contents should be
redistributed only together in their original form.

Modifications must be approved by the Devrace company. The evaluation version may be
freely distributed without our permission but it can not be used for commercial purpose
(that is for getting profit).

We want to encourage the distribution of the evaluation version as much as we can.

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Registered License
----------------------------------

Registration of a purchased license is valid only for the developer in whose name the
original registration was made or, in a case where ownership was transferred, the
developer to whom it was transferred. Site licenses may also be negotiated at substantial
savings to cover departments or small organizations.

If there are other developers in your organization who will use the source or components
please ensure that each individual has a license properly registered to his or her name.

You can not use FIBPlus as a base for products which may be considered to compete with
FIBPlus in some capacity. Please contact the Devrace Company if you have any
questions regarding this.

By purchasing commercial license the developer gets a right for commercial use of FIBPlus,
its new versions and changes realized during one year after registration. That is all new
versions and changes realized during one year after registration automatically become
registered. The commercial use of the registered copy is limited by the terms of this
license and can last for an unlimited period. The developer also gets special discounts
for prolonging the term of the license. Please contact the Devrace Company if you have
any questions regarding this.

----------------------------------
Free Licensing
----------------------------------

We permit generous registration of various free licenses. The concept is that all who use
FIBPlus for commercial purposes, including as employees of a company that engages in
developing products or services for in-house or commercial use, who do not in some way
contribute to the FIBPlus product, shall be required to purchase licensing for commercial
use. All others may inquire about being granted a free license.

We may permit a commercial license to be registered free of charge, until the project turns
out to be profitable, at which time the license would be purchased after the fact. If you
can't make a profit using FIBPlus then we don't feel you should have to pay for it.

There is no charge for access to these components and their sources for those who will not
be profiting financially by their use or for those who are contributing to it. For example,
this may include but is not limited to:
* People wanting to extend their skills in their free time.
* Students or instructors wanting to use them for educational curriculum.
* Non-profit organizations.
* Religious organizations.
* Open source projects that are not geared towards returning financial profits to their
developers, either directly or indirectly.
* Individuals or organizations contributing support in the various public forums, bug
cases and fixes, enhancements, new components or controls, sample applications,
tutorials, "How To ..." articles, marketing materials for promoting FIBPlus, etc.

----------------------------------
Disclaimer
----------------------------------
These tools are distributed AS IS for use at your own risk. No damages as a direct or
indirect result of using this product can be claimed or litigated against the provider.

2001, Devrace Company
http://www.devrace.com/

[Casimiro Noteví]

Los componentes IBX de delphi, que provienen también de FreeIB de Gregory Deatz, en el delphi 5, decía que tenía licencia IPL (interbase public license)

{************************************************************************}
{ }
{ Borland Delphi Visual Component Library }
{ InterBase Express core components }
{ }
{ Copyright (c) 1998-2000 Inprise Corporation }
{ }
{ InterBase Express is based in part on the product }
{ Free IB Components, written by Gregory H. Deatz for }
{ Hoagland, Longo, Moran, Dunst & Doukas Company. }
{ Free IB Components is used under license. }
{ }
{ The contents of this file are subject to the InterBase }
{ Public License Version 1.0 (the "License"); you may not }
{ use this file except in compliance with the License. You }
{ may obtain a copy of the License at http://www.Inprise.com/IPL.html }
{ Software distributed under the License is distributed on }
{ an "AS IS" basis, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either }
{ express or implied. See the License for the specific language }
{ governing rights and limitations under the License. }
{ The Original Code was created by InterBase Software Corporation }
{ and its successors. }
{ Portions created by Inprise Corporation are Copyright (C) Inprise }
{ Corporation. All Rights Reserved. }
{ Contributor(s): Jeff Overcash }
{ }
{************************************************************************}

Y en el delphi 2007 he visto que ahora pone esto:

{*************************************************************}
{ }
{ CodeGear Delphi Visual Component Library }
{ InterBase Express core components }
{ }
{ Copyright (c) 1998-2007 CodeGear Software Corporation }
{ }
{ InterBase Express is based in part on the product }
{ Free IB Components, written by Gregory H. Deatz for }
{ Hoagland, Longo, Moran, Dunst & Doukas Company. }
{ Free IB Components is used under license. }
{ }
{ Additional code created by Jeff Overcash and used }
{ with permission. }
{*************************************************************}

[Casimiro Noteví]

Y aquí la descripción de la IPL

[guillotmarc]

No me aclaro mucho con esas licencias que utilizan en las FibPlus antiguas.

Pero sí que resulta bastante clarificador que las MDO tengan licencia MPL.

http://ostatic.com/mdo

Eso quiere decir que la licencia original de las FreeIbComponents era MPL o compatible con ella, puesto que de una librería GPL no se puede hacer un derivado MPL.

Por ello, si la licencia original era MPL, entonces tal y como lo entiendo yo, Devrace tiene todo el derecho a modificar el código y distribuirlo con una licencia propia, comercial, su única obligación es la de que se informe claramente de que se ha usado el código original MPL. Poco más o menos lo que hicieron los chicos de Yaffil con su fork comercial de Firebird (la licencia de Firebird es compatible MPL).

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPL

Tiene sentido, ya que si la licencia origianl fuera GPL (y por tanto FibPlus también fuese GPL), entonces no lo podríamos usar para crear nuestro software comercial. Ya que interviene el famoso efecto "viral" de las licencias GPL, y cualquier código que esté linkado con al menos un módulo GPL (en este caso las FibPlus) también tiene que ser liberado bajo GPL.

Parece que los de Devraces actúan de forma perfectamente legítima, aún así resulta curioso el ocultismo en sus últimas versiones. No he encontrado ninguna licencia ni en FibPlus 6.9.6 ni en FibPlus 6.9.9 (en esta última ni siquiera publican nada de código fuente).

Saludos

[guillotmarc]

Casimiro, lo que dices de la licencia IPL en IBX creo que confirma que Devrace tiene derecho a cerrar su código en las FibPlus.

Y es que la IPL es compatible MPL, y por lo que en lo que yo sé de esa licencia cualquiera puede cerrar un fork del código MPL (naturalmente lo que ya hay liberado en MPL no puede ser cerrado, solo se pueden cerrar forks). Es el mismo ejemplo que he usado antes con Firebird y Yaffil.

Nadie puede cerrar la versión actual IPL de Firebird, pero cualquiera puede hacer su propio Fork y liberarlo con licencias comerciales cerradas.

[Casimiro Noteví]

Sí, te entiendo, pero tal y como comentas, no deja de ser extraño ese ocultismo. Y quien intenta ocultar algo es porque... tiene algo que ocultar
No sé, es muy raro, primero una IPL, de esa a trustware, luego cerrada... no sé, no sé...

[jorosmtz]

chin, ya que me había ilusionado que alguien pudiera pasarme los FIBPlus, ni hablar, ha seguir usando los Interbase components, hasta que Zeos haga la versión para Delphi 2010.

[Casimiro Noteví]

Por si acaso, le he escrito a Gregory Deatz preguntando por la licencia original de FreeIBcomponents, a ver si entiende mi inglés 'google traductor'

[Casimiro Noteví]

Veamos, he encontrado lo siguiente en la documentación en la web de FreeIB.

Users can feel free to provide me with wish list requests and/or FreeIBComponents enhancements.

If you send me a wish list request, you will not receive a response from me, but you can be assured that your request will be considered for future releases.

If you send me an enhancement or extension to FreeIBComponents that you would like included in the distribution, I will consider it and respond accordingly. Keep in mind, however, that FreeIBComponents and all source code is free. Do not even think about asking to distribute proprietary products with FreeIBComponents.

If I distribute product enhancements written by others than myself, their names will be included in the acknowledgements section of this manual, and their source code will be acknowledged appropriately.

La parte que me ha llamado la atención es el párrafo que he marcado en negrita. La traducción que me devuelve google es:

Si me envía una mejora o ampliación de los FreeIBComponents que le gustaría incluir en la distribución, voy a considerar y responder en consecuencia. Tenga en cuenta, sin embargo, que FreeIBComponents y todo el código fuente es libre. Ni siquiera pensar en pedir a la distribución de productos patentados con FreeIBComponents.

Me parece que está diciendo que FreeIBcomponents es libre y ni pensar que alguien le pida destribuirlo "cerrado", ¿he entendido bien?