Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!HOPKINS-EECS-BRAVO.ARPA!bogstad From: bogstad@HOPKINS-EECS-BRAVO.ARPA ("William J. Bogstad") Newsgroups: net.emacs Subject: Re: distributing gnu - (bison copyrights) Message-ID: <8605202356.AA12789@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Date: Tue, 20-May-86 12:36:23 EDT Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8605202356.AA12789 Posted: Tue May 20 12:36:23 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 23-May-86 06:28:44 EDT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 72 Subject: Re: distributing gnu - let's think about this References: <5373@alice> In <2633@teddy.uucp> John Nelson says: >I recently obtained a copy of BISON (the GNU yacc equivalent). It appears >that every C file genrated by BISON contains the GNU copyright. I contacted >Richard Stallman to make sure this was not accidental - his reply was that >this copyright was included in the generated C source file because it includes >a copy of the parser written by him. To the best of my understanding, this >implies that I cannot sell any program that uses BISON to generate a parser >- In fact, I must be willing to give away that C source. > >Richard didn't seem very upset when I suggested that I couldn't use >BISON if I had to give away the generated C program. In fact, He was >quite pleased (something like: He was just as pleased as if a gun he'd >manufactured couldn't be used for murder). I know for a fact that Richard didn't write bison from scratch. Someone out at Berkeley did the original work and RMS did a lot to clean it up and make it more equivalent to yacc. I don't know what the original author thinks about this, but I find it a little disturbing. Don't take me wrong, I like what RMS is doing and in fact contributed a small hack to FSF. I just think that he is taking this a little too far. Why not have GNU Emacs insert a copyright into everything it produces? Or at least your C code since you are using the auto formatting of c-mode aren't you? BTW, when I sent RMS my hack to replace "colrm"; I got a message back asking me to print and sign the following form: ---- Richard Stallman 545 Tech Sq, rm 703 Cambridge, MA 02139 ASSIGNMENT For good and valuable consideration, receipt of which I acknowledge, I hereby transfer to the Free Software Foundation, Inc. (the "Foundation") my entire right, title, and interest (including all rights under copyright) in my computer program "colrm.c" (the "Program"). However, upon thirty days' prior written notice, the Foundation agrees to grant me non-exclusive rights to use the program as I see fit; (and the Foundation shall also own similar non-exclusive rights). I hereby indemnify and hold harmless the Foundation, its officers, employees, and agents against any and all claims, actions or damages (including attorney's reasonable fees) asserted by or paid to any party relating to the program. Agreed: Date signed: ---- Any comments on this? I was a little taken aback by it, but eventually decided that it was reasonable. I wonder if the only reason he did this was because I had included a copyright notice in my code which allowed me to do anything with my code and others could only give it away. Would this allow FSF to sell my code? (Sorry for the length on this.) Bill Bogstad bogstad@hopkins-eecs-bravoa.arpa