Python license (2.3)

[Robert Kern]

Antoon Pardon wrote:
> Op 2005-04-13, Robert Kern schreef <rkern at ucsd.edu>:
> 
>>Antoon Pardon wrote:

>>>Well if it comes so far I have to consult a lawyer I'd rather not publish
>>>it in the first place.
>>
>>Then take the (free) advice that you asked for. 
> 
> I'll do that and I appreciate your time in giving it.

Gladly given, and I apologize if I sound a bit snippy.

>>And please do read Rosen's book.
> 
> I started already.
> 
>>>The only reason I'm concerned is that this is to be part of a tutorial
>>>and I prefer not to burden those who read the tutoral with any kind of
>>>license. As far as I'm concerned people reading the tutorial can use
>>>any code provided with it in any way they see fit.
>>
>>You can't *quite* go that far if you are deriving code from Python, but 
>>it's about as close as you can get. You still have those light 
>>restrictions about attribution and notification of changes.
> 
> I'm not sure I follow. As far as I understand, I can license the result
> however I see fit, as long as I go by the conditions for using the
> original code. So it seems I can use a license so that the readers
> of the tutorial don't have to be concerned in how they use the code.

You can't take away the requirement to keep the PSF's copyright notice 
on their bits of code. You can give permission for users to do what they 
like with your parts of the code.

However, the requirements of the PSF license are about as trivial as you 
get outside of the public domain.

>>>I see this as my contribution to the communities who has provided me
>>>with all kinds of things that are usefull to me. I'm willing to put
>>>time into this, but if I have to spend money because it is impossible
>>>otherwise to find out how to contribute legally, that is a hurdle
>>>I'm reluctant to take.
>>
>>You could take a look at what other people are doing. Most of us here 
>>are writing and releasing software derived from Python, legally so and 
>>without complication.
> 
> I would do that if I were just writing code I thought others could
> find usefull. I then would feel no problem "burdening" those users
> with the same kind of license I found in the product I took some
> code from. But I also think that readers of documentation should
> be free to use any code included in any way they see fit.

If they have issues with distributing code derived from Python, why are 
they reading a Python tutorial?

-- 
Robert Kern
rkern at ucsd.edu

"In the fields of hell where the grass grows high
  Are the graves of dreams allowed to die."
   -- Richard Harter