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From: fnf@mcdsun.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Disks 103-110 now available
Message-ID: <504@mcdsun.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 12-Nov-87 17:09:25 EST
Article-I.D.: mcdsun.504
Posted: Thu Nov 12 17:09:25 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Nov-87 16:50:20 EST
References: <3131@xanth.UUCP> <939@sask.UUCP>
Reply-To: fnf@mcdsun.UUCP (Fred Fish)
Organization: Motorola Microcomputer Division
Lines: 66

In article <939@sask.UUCP> macphed@sask.UUCP (Ian MacPhedran) writes:
>I'm sorry, but I seem to have  missed this. I did read Fred's posting
>of the new disks available, and have scanned forwards and backwards
>from that article but can't find this reference. Could you be more
>specific?

Ok, below is an excerpt from my posting:

=For those that are interested, after this problem was brought to my
=attention by an alert comp.sys.amiga reader (thank you Bob!). I called
=Absoft to determine the necessary conditions for distribution of
=programs compiled with Absoft's Fortran, and linked with their runtime
=support routines.  My current understanding is that there are three
=conditions that must be met:
=
=1)	The original developer must obtain and sign a license
=	agreement which absolves Absoft of all liability for
=	use of the program.  There are other terms in the agreement
=	but the liability one seemed to be the most important issue.
=	There is no charge for the license, and only the original
=	developer needs to obtain it before distribution.  Third
=	party redistributers (I.E. me :-) are not required to get
=	one.
=
=2)	At execution time a copyright message must be displayed
=	in the startup screen indicating that portions of the
=	executable are copyrighted by Absoft, and similar notices
=	must appear in any documentation.  There seem to be two 
=	reasons for this: (1) they want the free PR, (2) they want
=	it to be clear that they maintain rights to portions of the
=	executable code.  It is not clear what should happen if you
=	have no documentation, or if you have no startup screen.
=	I would be inclined to believe that a statically compiled
=	in copyright message would be sufficient in this case.
=
=3)	Only a pure linked executable may be distributed.  No other
=	portions of the Absoft environment (such as dynamically loaded
=	libraries if any) may be distributed without special arrangements.
=	(No surprises here)

>I believe I can agree with the nice things you've heard (there are some
>things I don't like about the compiler, but not many). However, after
>reading the license agreement, I can find no mention of such a restiction
>in it, or in the manual. (Although I must admit I only scanned the manual.
>If such a requirement is placed on the software, it should appear in the
>licensing section.)

This is true, and it appears to be true even with the latest version of
the compiler being shipped.  I have now had the opportunity to personally
inspect the shrink wrap license agreement that comes with the Absoft fortran
compiler for the Amiga  Nowhere is explicit mention made of any restrictions
on the runtime support code.  By the same token, nowhere is explicit 
permission given to distribute it either.  A reasonable person would probably
interpret the agreement, as written, to cover only the code received in the
compiler package, I.E. executables, unlinked libraries, include files if any,
documentation, etc.  I have recommended to Absoft that they modify their
standard license agreement to make their restrictions explicit, to avoid
future misunderstandings.  Note that the shrink wrap agreement explicitly
states that it is the sole agreement between the buyer and Absoft, so any
other supplementary agreement buried in the documentation somewhere is
probably not enforceable anyway.

-Fred
-- 
# Fred Fish    hao!noao!mcdsun!fnf    (602) 438-3614
# Motorola Computer Division, 2900 S. Diablo Way, Tempe, Az 85282  USA