Re: Sample code

[Simon Josefsson <simon at josefsson.org>]

Brian E Carpenter <brian.e.carpenter at gmail.com> writes:

> On 2007-12-02 06:27, Frank Ellermann wrote:
>> Harald Alvestrand wrote:
>>
>>> I think the WG has concluded that it's unacceptable to publish
>>> source code in an RFC that, if copied from the RFC and modified by
>>> a reader, would place a GPL (or any other copyright-based)
>>> requirement on that
>>> reader.
>>
>> Sounds familiar...
>>  
>>> And I think that's a sensible conclusion to come to.
>>
>> ...but the outcome is horrible, 
>
> It doesn't have to be. If the author of the code contributes
> it directly to the IETF process, quite independently of any
> contribution of the same code made under any other license,
> the IETF's needs are met. The outcome is horrible if someone
> who is not the original author lifts code from (e.g.) a GPL
> source and embeds it in an IETF document.

I don't understand the focus on GPL here, any license that restricts the
recipient from doing certain things would have the same issue.  The
current IETF license is an example of such a license (fixed by
incoming+outgoing though).  There has been source code examples in RFCs
with nasty licenses; if I recall correctly, some does not even permit
redistribution.

Further, I think the point is that it happens often that the copyright
holder on some code haven't released code under IETF's licenses, and it
is useful to include the code in an RFC.  The current situation works
against the IETF's goal of facilitating wide implementations of
standards.  This situation is bad, and your suggested solution isn't
realistic.

/Simon

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