Re: Documenting open source software in product?

Subject: Re: Documenting open source software in product?
From: Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 10:33:24 -0700


From: Bill Swallow [mailto:wswallow -at- nycap -dot- rr -dot- com] wrote:

If you're including 3rd party software within your own and shipping it,
you generally have to first get rights to do so (not sure how this works
with open source apps though)

If you're using open source or free software, the licenses specifically give you the right to copy. Under the GNU General Public License, the most common license for both open source and free software, the only restriction is that you can't add the code to proprietary code. Other licenses have different restrictions; for example, under the BSD License, you can add the code to proprietary code.

So long as your company's use of the code doesn't violate the license, you don't need to get any rights. However, when I've worked for open source companies, I always made sure that any projects knew when my company was bundling or otherwise using their code.

There were three reasons for acting this way:

First, it's only courtesy.Courtesy is rarely wasted in business at any time.

Second, commercial companies are often viewed suspiciously by contributors to open source or free software projects. Often, they dislike the fact that the companies are making money off their efforts.So, it's only sensible for companies to disarm these feelings by showing the projects some respect.Whenever possible, I've also suggested some contributions to the project, either money or code, or by endorsement.

Third, by establishing ties with the project, the company benefits. Its members can take part in the discussions about the project's directions. In return, it gets, in effect, a complete development team that it doesn't have to pay.

In short, the best relation that a company can have with an open source or free software project is that of an active member of the project.

--
Bruce Byfield bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com 604.421.7177

"Your working day is passing slowly
and you're thinking on the evening time
and we're running wild through your city
all your working days have passed us by."
- Mick Fitzgerald, "All Our Trades are Gone"


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Your monthly sponsorship message here reaches more than
5000 technical writers, providing 2,500,000+ monthly impressions.
Contact Eric (ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com) for details and availability.
Save $600: Create great-looking Help files and software demos with
RoboHelp Deluxe. Get RoboHelp and RoboDemo - our new demo software - for one
low price. OR Save $100 on RoboHelp Office in June with our mail-in rebate.
Go to http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.



References:
RE: Documenting open source software in product?: From: KMcLauchlan

Previous by Author: Re: Documenting open source software in product?
Next by Author: Sub-sets of DocBook
Previous by Thread: RE: Documenting open source software in product?
Next by Thread: An ethical question?


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads