Re: [Boost-users] derivative work

From: Peter Dimov (pdimov_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-06-13 15:32:57

Ruediger Berlich wrote:
> Dear Peter,
>
> my question evolves from the following excerpt from the BSL:
>
> "Permission is hereby granted [...] to prepare derivative works [...]
> subject to the following: The copyright notices in the Software and
> this entire statement, including the above license grant, this
> restriction and the following disclaimer, must be included [...] (in)
> all derivative works of the Software, [...]".
>
> My interpretation of this is the following (and it is quite possible
> that to an English native speaker accustomed to legal speach this is
> an entirely stupid view ;-)
>
> If the definition of "derivative works" includes activities commonly
> understood as "usage" then, as per the above excerpt, basically any
> person just using Boost in an application has to
> a) include a copyright notice for the corresponding Boost library's
> author in the code (despite the fact that no modifications of that
> library's code took place)
> b) include the Boost license in his/her code.

...

It would help if we use specific examples. Let's say that you have

// foo.cpp
// Copyright 2007 Joe Q. Author. All rights reserved.

#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>

int main()
{
    boost::shared_ptr<int> px( new int( 5 ) );
}

Are you concerned that this foo.cpp may be considered a derivative work of 
boost/shared_ptr.hpp? My non-lawyer opinion is that it isn't, even if we use 
a Boost interface that is not already in TR1 and on its way to C++0x.

Are you concerned that foo.o/.obj is a derivative work of shared_ptr.hpp? It 
may or may not be - this is a somewhat gray area because of the inlining - 
but the BSL specifically places no restrictions on derivative works in .obj 
form.