[Pkg-isocodes-devel] iso-codes license

[LI Daobing]

2009/4/2 Tobias Quathamer <toddy at debian.org>:
> Hi all,
>
> I think it would be a good opportunity to clean up the iso-codes package a
> bit at this early stage in the release cycle. One of the things I'm willing
> to resolve is our current license situation. I've mailed to this list one
> and a half years ago about this topic[1].
>
> After reading the whole thread again, I'm coming to the conclusion that
> we've agreed to use either GPL or LGPL for the complete package, not the
> mixture we have currently[2].
>
> The last input to this discussion had come from Alastair, who said that he
> had chosen the LGPL to allow non-GPL programs to use the iso-codes data[3].
>
> However, if you read the article of Richard Stallman[4] about the LGPL, I
> think that we should choose the GPL for iso-codes. After all, the ISO
> agencies sell their codes to people, and we have trouble to find reliable
> online and free (as in beer) sources for the code tables.
>
> So, if someone wants to use iso-codes for a free (as in speech) project,
> they might do so and release their project under the GPL as well. However,
> if e.g. Microsoft needs ISO data, they will probably just buy the standard
> from the ISO agency and use it for their proprietary program. Otherwise,
> should they use our package, they would need to license their program under
> GPL.

I think LGPL is better than GPL for iso-codes.

just my 2cents.



-- 
Best Regards
LI Daobing