Re: pcurses license

From: Richard Stallman <rms_at_gnu.ai.mit.edu>
Date: Thu, 5 Jun 1997 05:40:58 -0400

    The main purpose of the copyright is to prevent others from
    taking ncurses, modifying it, and then releasing it as their own work.

There is no conflict between this goal
and the needs of free operating systems.

The problem comes from specific method being used to achieve this
goal--the specific distribution terms now used.

    I believe QNX include a modified copy of ncurses, but nobody is complaining
    becuase they are not misrepresenting it as their own work.

If the distribution terms explicitly said to everyone that we are allowed
to do what QNX is doing--that is, release a modified version and label
it properly as to where it came from--then there would be no problem.

In other words, it seems that the present ncurses distribution terms
don't match your intentions.
Received on Thu Jun 05 1997 - 05:51:01 EDT

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