On 3/3/2011 11:39 AM, Markus Schaber wrote:
Hi,
We want to include IronPython in one of our products, including the pure
Python part of the python standard library. It seems that the IronPython
installer packagers simply copied the pure python part of the standard
library (the directory tree of .py files which is installed by cPython
and IronPython installers in the lib/ subdirectory) from cPython.
Now, this directory comes with a LICENSE.txt which contains a
conglomerate of several licenses, and for us (and our Lawyers), it is
not entirely clear which part of the license applies to the pure Python
part of the standard library, and which applies to other files (like the
Berkeley Database license).
Our current understanding is that all the .py files which do not contain
any explicit mentioning of a license are covered by the Python licenses
(the first three licenses of the LICENSE.txt), and that e. G. the
Berkeley Database License only applies to the bsddb module which is
implemented in C, and thus is currently neither included with nor usable
from IronPython.
Is there anyone who can confirm this interpretation?
Your interpretation seems reasonable, but only a paid lawyer (or
ultimately a judge) can 'confirm' a legal interpretation. Sorry, we
programmers generally hate the system.
That said, I suspect you or your lawyers are worrying too much. None of
the licensors are looking to play gotcha and I do not know that there
have been any court cases involving Python.
Maybe the LICENSE.txt should clarify somehow which of the licenses
applies to which part of the software.
I presume you are using some version of Python 2. In 3.2, the license
file has the four general licenses (CWI, CNRI, BeOpen, PSF) in one
section and 16 specific licenses related to various library modules
(each identified) in another. There is no BSD license because bsddb in
no longer included.
You could take the disappearance of the BD licence with the
disappearance of the bsddb module as confirmation of your hypothesis;-).
--
Terry Jan Reedy
--
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