Re: [boost] copied boost files in other projects

Subject: Re: [boost] copied boost files in other projects
From: Paul A. Bristow (pbristow_at_[hidden])
Date: 2016-12-12 04:15:10

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Boost [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]] On Behalf Of Steven Ross
> Sent: 11 December 2016 14:47
> To: boost_at_[hidden]
> Subject: Re: [boost] copied boost files in other projects
> 
> On Fri, Dec 9, 2016 at 11:47 AM Robert Ramey <ramey_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> 
> > Writing of software is a work of authorship and craft just as is other
> > works like music, theater, movies, etc. are.  We should apply the same
> > criteria law, custom and procedure to our software  as other authors do
> > to they're own work.  The writer of these works "own" their work in that
> > they have certain rights to place conditions on it's use.  The Boost
> > license states those conditions and are very, very, liberal.  Basically
> > all we ask for is that those who use our work acknowledge it's
> > provenance.  Anyone who does not want to do this is free not to use the
> > work.
> >
> > The concept of copyright has long history
> > (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_copyright_law) of promoting
> > development of arts and technology.  It should not be lightly set aside.
> >   Unfortunately, in recent years the software industry strayed away from
> > copyrights into the world of patents - much to the detriment of software
> > and technology and to the interests of those of us who create and use
> > these tools.
> >
> > On a related note, somebody asked me to add a new sort call to the
> Boost.Sort library, I told them we'd need to contact the author to get them
> to send us a copy with the Boost copyright, and then they told me they
> copied it and modified it, and sent it to me, and that was ok because it
> had an open-source license.  I assume that I should automatically reject
> any proposed new library contributions from that individual?

Definitely Yes if it was originally a GPL licence.

Probably Yes - unless you can get permission to also Boost licence it from the original author?
(An email doing this would suffice - I think we have a secure place to store these emails). 

And of course the original author and the modifier should get a reference in the code and documentation.  Part of the point of the
Boost licence is to ensure that *all* authors get credit, as well as preventing loss of copyright and loss of patent priority.

> I wonder if a similar mechanism (third parties copying copyrighted source
> code, removing the copyright, and contributing it) could be causing those
> who own these other libraries to unknowingly be violating the Boost
> license?  In that case, we should be notifying them, and if this is the
> problem, they'll likely correct it.

Agreed.

Paul

---
Paul A. Bristow
Prizet Farmhouse
Kendal UK LA8 8AB
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