Ken Arromdee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > This may be a side issue, but could someone explain to me how "you > acknowledge that ____" can fit the DFSG no matter what is acknowledged? > It sounds like the equivalent of "if you distribute this software, you must > pet a cat", only instead of petting a cat, you have to make an > acknowledgement. Presumably making the acknowledgement has some negative > effect on the user (otherwise nobody would bother demanding one), so you're > demanding the user give up some of his rights.
I think it's only for purposes of estoppel. > Consider this hypothetical: I want to use the software in a nuclear power > plant. My lawyers advise me not to make the acknowledgement, because doing > so might make it harder to later take Sun to court if I have to. I refuse > to acknowledge that the software is not intended for nuclear plants, but I > copy and use the software anyway. Am I now in violation of the license? Your lawyers are insane. It's illegal to use this software in nuclear power plants. Yes, I suppose those laws could change. But the fact that it isn't designed for use in a nuke is *true*. I don't see any fee or other non-free requirement in silent and private acknowledgement of true facts. > I know that "you must acknowledge that" doesn't mean you need to mail Sun a > written statement bearing an acknowledgement, but I don't think that makes a > difference. Would a license "you must acknowledge that Jesus is > Lord" be free? That's not provably true. Sun, being the designer of the software, can make unambiguously true statements about the design. Similarly, you must acknowledge that I have written the word "Sun". > Or a license "you must acknowledge that any damage you might suffer as a > result of using this software is no greater than 99 cents"? That's very far from true. > If not, why is "you must acknowledge <something that might put you > at a disadvantage in court>" free? Because the acknowledgement is trivially proven to be true. I agree that if there's any question about the truth of the statement, it's not free. But for trivially true cases, I don't think it matters. -Brian -- Brian Sniffen [EMAIL PROTECTED]
