SDK Header Files and License Terms

Got an idea for enhancing PureBasic? New command(s) you'd like to see?
User avatar
Tristano
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Posts: 190
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2015 6:52 pm
Location: Italy
Contact:

SDK Header Files and License Terms

Post by Tristano »

Feature request: a permessive license for SDK header files…

I was looking at PureBASIC’s SDK (Windows) Visual C sources for PureLibraries and I’ve noticed that the core include files contain the following copyright notice:

Code: Select all

/* === Copyright Notice ===
 *
 *
 *                  PureBasic source code file
 *
 *
 * This file is part of the PureBasic Software package. It may not
 * be distributed or published in source code or binary form without
 * the expressed permission by Fantaisie Software.
 *
 * By contributing modifications or additions to this file, you grant
 * Fantaisie Software the rights to use, modify and distribute your
 * work in the PureBasic package.
 *
 *
 * Copyright (C) 2000-2010 Fantaisie Software - all rights reserved
 *
 */
I am a bit confused by these two statements: does the first statement apply only to the files as they are or does it also mean that any derivative work needs prior approval by Fantaisie Software? Are these two clauses of the A or B type, or A and B?

For example, I would have liked to port some of the headers to other languages (or to modifiy them to work with other compilers than MSVS), but from what I gathered from the copyright notice this is not possible without prior authorization by Fantaisie Software and by granting Fantaisie the right to use the derivative code in PureBASIC — this last clause might clash with projects using open source components with a non-commercial license clause, or with a clause demanding that the source code is also published, because one can only grant rights over the code which he owns, not third party code covered by licenses.

Furthermore, if one wishes to create a commercial software using PureBASIC, and needs to build some custom libraries or gadgets, the current SDK terms pose a great limitation.

Some of these header files are precious resources for creating custom libraries, and I think that releasing them under a more permissive license would be a great service to PureBASIC users.
The PureBASIC Archives: FOSS Resources: