BSD licence

Peteris Krisjanis pecisk at gmail.com
Mon Jun 30 20:05:23 UTC 2008


2008/6/30 luca (ᴉ) innurindi <luca at innurindi.net>:
> Matthias Urlichs <smurf at smurf.noris.de> writes:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> luca (ᴉ) innurindi:
>>> So the change of the license doesn't affect the translation of the
>>> Ubuntu operating system but other specific software?
>>>
>> Why shouldn't it?
>
> I wanted to understand better what you meant with the term "specific
> open source software", so the question affects as it was my first
> impression all the translation of the Ubuntu operating system, made in
> the past or in the future.
>
> So the BSD license isn't for me the best solution because of the
> considerations made in my previous email.
>
> And it still exists the problem with the upstream translations: we
> can't use them if they are in GPL because in this way we change
> arbitrary their license.

BSD license is meant just for translation entered within Launchpad
system (as far as I understand) - system give you a string, you
translate it, therefore license it BSD and Launchpad can use this
exact string to compare it with others. In same time, it can be
included in all kind of software, even in that for what you originaly
made your translation for. It is a win-win.

So, in nutshell, imported translations (from projects sources) keep
their license. Translations made within Rosetta via form or upload by
user gets BSD licensed (if user has agreed on that) and can be used as
suggestions for other, not just GPL or LGPL software.

If you don't wanna do that way, disagree and you will have your
previously made translations removed too. So to keep your soul clean,
you can work with upstream project to keep your translations in same
license as software.

I think it is elegant solution. But it needs to be explained. BSD has
been kinda "bogeyman" for many years.

just my two cents,
Peter.


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