On Thu, Jul 17, 2003 at 01:02:24PM +0200, Sten Daniel Sørsdal wrote: > > I am curious as to what is required (legally) to make a branch > of FreeBSD and call it somethingelseBSD?
You're completely free to do that. So long as you preserve the copyright on the original FreeBSD files, and the other hardly more onerous duties laid on you by the terms of http://www.freebsd.org/copyright/freebsd-license.html Note however that various parts are licensed under other terms, such as the GPL, which impose more stringent requirements. There's nothing however that prevents your branching the code to make your own distribution. > This would be non-commercial but is it possible to do a commercial > version as well? Even for commercial purposes. Nokia's IPSO operating system which they use in some of their network appliances is either a branch from FreeBSD 2.x, or a derivative of NetBSD -- it's not clear to me which, as various web and usenet articles make competing claims. Unfortunately Nokia's own site http://www.nokia.com/cda1?id=162 doesn't see fit to acknowledge the provenance of the technology they are using. However, the point remains that whichever of the *BSD's they started with, branching their own OS for commercial purposes is perfectly legal and above board. Cheers, Matthew -- Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil. 26 The Paddocks Savill Way PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey Marlow Tel: +44 1628 476614 Bucks., SL7 1TH UK
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