MPL and Source Code

[Craig Southeren]

On Mon, 3 Apr 2006 20:03:37 -0700
Steve Langasek <vorlon at debian.org> wrote:

> On Tue, Apr 04, 2006 at 12:23:09PM +1000, Craig Southeren wrote:
> > > > Because if it is Debian policy to distribute binaries where the source
> > > > code is not guaranteed to be publically available, then yes, I think
> > > > that could be a problem regardless of whether the license is MPL or GPL.
> 
> > > The source code is guaranteed to be publicly available for as long as 
> > > the binary is, but no longer.
> 
> > This is in violation of most Open Source licenses. 
> 
> > For example, the GPL requires source to be available on demand for up to
> > three years after distribution of the binary by electronic means.
> 
> False.  The GPL requirements are satisfied by making the source code
> available together with the binaries.  The FSF has clarified that
> distributing works together on an ftp site satisfies the intent of the GPL's
> requirement of "a medium customarily used for software interchange".  

Sorry, I disagree.

Section 3 of the GPL states that the source code for a binary-only
distribution must be available on demand for three years.

Your statement above means that the FSF has decided that FTP is a valid
means to perform that distribution, which makes excellent sense. 

But it does not affect the time period over which the distrbution must
be made available, which is 3 years. 

> In contrast, the MPL includes language that explicitly excludes this
> interpretation.

I disagree again

The MPL specifies (see para 3.2) that source must be provided via an
agreed "Electronic Distribution Mechanism", which is defined as (see
para 1.4) "...a mechanism generally accepted in the software development
community for the electronic transfer of data."

I don't see why this excludes FTP. I would expect to also include HTTP,
scp, rsync, or for that matter, CVS and SVN.

   Craig

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