Author Topic: RRPGE License v3  (Read 6760 times)

Jubatian

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RRPGE License v3
« on: October 07, 2014, 01:03:24 PM »
I am eliminating the need of an RRPGE Developer Agreement from the licensing model. This would help making the system more "open" in general, that is, only leaving a more clean license to comply with.

I mostly have two paths in my mind, favoring the more freedom-enforcing (that is, less permissive exceptions granted from under GPL) approach which would constrain proprietary uses better. Either approach would only give permissions for RRPGE Applications, leaving the emulator and toolset covered by GPL (version 3).

In short, the two approaches are as follows:
  • "The Free Software approach" would demand anything code (including instructions for an interpreter) released under GPL version 2 or above or the RRPGE License.
  • "The Open approach" would allow any license as long as the interface specifications are released under GPL version 2 or above or the RRPGE License.

I don't particularly like the "Open approach" since it gives too much ground for proprietary uses including patents and problems alike. This is likely the far end in relaxing the enforcement of freedom (strong copyleft) imposed by GPL which I might agree in.

The "Free Software approach" allows for proprietary by that you can use whatever license you want on the story, graphical or audible art components of your release, and in any sane game, these should be mostly what makes it sell (if you want that). Meanwhile it enforces you to contribute by releasing your code under a free license. You still have an important option for the code portion: Releasing under GPL prohibits further proprietary uses, while releasing under RRPGE License allows it.

I tried to initiate some talks with Free Software Foundation members, but by them, even the "Free Software approach" seem to be unacceptably permissive, in a manner they hardly even would give any usable response. I gave up. I don't deny the possibility of a less permissive approach, however without some sane debate, it is not very likely I would go more in this direction.

Until some decision is made, for a safeguard I created a Temporary RRPGE license (see here) which is basically GPL, and use that until this is settled.



The draft license texts are as follows:

The Open approach
Code: [Select]
                               RRPGE LICENSE
                       Version 3 (draft), ?? ??? 201?

                (THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL PUBLISHED VERSION)

Copyright (C) 2015 Sandor Zsuga (Jubatian) <http://jubatian.org/>
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license
document, but changing it is not allowed.

This license is based on version 3 of the GNU General Public License,
supplemented by the additional terms and permissions listed below.

  0. Additional Definitions.

"This License" refers to version 3 of the RRPGE License.

"GPL" refers to any version of the GNU General Public License.

"GPLv3" refers to version 3 of the GNU General Public License.

"Lesser GPLv3" refers to version 3 of the GNU Lesser General Public License.

"RRPGE Application" refers to any software designed to run under RRPGE, which
in binary form is distributable as a single stand-alone RRPGE application
binary file.

  1. Additional Terms.

All trade names, trademarks and service marks as defined in section 7 of GPLv3
incorporated into The Program belongs to their respective owners, and shall
not be used without their permission.

The trade names, trademarks and service marks incorporated shall be listed
along with their respective owners in a text file referred as "TRADEMRK"
alongside This License in a manner their locations of incorporation is clearly
identifiable in The Program. This file must be present, but may be empty
indicating there are no such entities in The Program.

This term may be removed in accordance with section 7 of GPLv3 provided all
the trade names, trademarks and service marks are removed from The Program as
identified by the TRADEMRK file.

  2. Permission to relicense under other versions of GPL.

You are allowed to relicense The Program under version 2 or any later version
of GPL after complying with the additional terms listed in (1). No additional
permissions of This License shall survive this action. You are allowed to
include a clause allowing further relicensings under later versions of GPL.

  3. Permission to relicense under later versions of the RRPGE License

You are allowed to relicense The Program under later versions of the RRPGE
License.

  4. Additional permissions for RRPGE Applications

You are allowed to make RRPGE Applications as Combined Works using The Program
under the terms and conditions of Lesser GPLv3, with the following exceptions:

    a) This permission does not apply to the specification of network
    protocols and file formats used by the Combined Work.

    b) Section 11 of GPLv3 shall remain in effect for Combined Works.

    c) The "this License" definition of the Lesser GPLv3 is to be interpreted
    as the RRPGE License. Where the Lesser GPLv3 requires accompanying the
    work with a copy of "this license document", it means the This License and
    the Lesser GPLv3 documents.

    d) Incorporating the RRPGE Application in binary form as an exact copy or
    through a generic recompiler into an another work whose primary purpose is
    executing the application shall not be considered a modification or a
    derivative work and shall be permitted, however the conveying of such
    works may be regulated by the RRPGE Application's license terms on
    conveying.

The Free Software approach
Code: [Select]
                               RRPGE LICENSE
                       Version 3 (draft), ?? ??? 201?

                (THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL PUBLISHED VERSION)

Copyright (C) 2015 Sandor Zsuga (Jubatian) <http://jubatian.org/>
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license
document, but changing it is not allowed.

This license is based on version 3 of the GNU General Public License,
supplemented by the additional terms and permissions listed below.

  0. Additional Definitions.

"This License" refers to version 3 of the RRPGE License.

"GPL" refers to any version of the GNU General Public License.

"GPLv3" refers to version 3 of the GNU General Public License.

"Lesser GPLv3" refers to version 3 of the GNU Lesser General Public License.

"RRPGE Application" refers to any software designed to run under RRPGE, which
in binary form is distributable as a single stand-alone RRPGE application
binary file.

"Turing complete" refers to the Turing completeness of a system excluding the
requirement of infinite memory.

  1. Additional Terms.

All trade names, trademarks and service marks as defined in section 7 of GPLv3
incorporated into The Program belongs to their respective owners, and shall
not be used without their permission.

The trade names, trademarks and service marks incorporated shall be listed
along with their respective owners in a text file referred as "TRADEMRK"
alongside This License in a manner their locations of incorporation is clearly
identifiable in The Program. This file must be present, but may be empty
indicating there are no such entities in The Program.

This term may be removed in accordance with section 7 of GPLv3 provided all
the trade names, trademarks and service marks are removed from The Program as
identified by the TRADEMRK file.

  2. Permission to relicense under other versions of GPL.

You are allowed to relicense The Program under version 2 or any later version
of GPL after complying with the additional terms listed in (1). No additional
permissions of This License shall survive this action. You are allowed to
include a clause allowing further relicensings under later versions of GPL.

  3. Permission to relicense under later versions of the RRPGE License

You are allowed to relicense The Program under later versions of the RRPGE
License.

  4. Additional permissions for RRPGE Applications

You are allowed to make RRPGE Applications as Combined Works using The Program
under the terms and conditions of Lesser GPLv3, with the following exceptions:

    a) This permission does not apply to the RRPGE Application's code.

    b) This permission does not apply to any component of the RRPGE
    Application which consists instructions processed by a Turing complete
    system at any abstraction level.

    c) The "this License" definition of the Lesser GPLv3 is to be interpreted
    as the RRPGE License. Where the Lesser GPLv3 requires accompanying the
    work with a copy of "this license document", it means the This License and
    the Lesser GPLv3 documents.

    d) Incorporating the RRPGE Application in binary form as an exact copy or
    through a generic recompiler into an another work whose primary purpose is
    executing the application shall not be considered a modification or a
    derivative work and shall be permitted, however the conveying of such
    works may be regulated by the RRPGE Application's license terms on
    conveying.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2015, 08:28:22 PM by Jubatian »