Relicensing the code tree

ash@contact.bg ash@contact.bg
Sat, 21 Feb 2004 12:53:25 +0200


Hi everyone,
I want to know if there is any interest in a relicencing project for the 
xserver (and/or xlibs)?
This question is only prompted by the change of the current XFree86 license, 
but the true reason is their licensing policy up till now - to accept patches 
and contributions with varying licenses [1]. (I hate license promiscuity! [2]  
Brings complications and license fights.)
Is there any project for bringing some order to the licensing situation?
Or hope for a project? Or any positive thought for such a project?
I know it will be a daunting task given the need to contact many contributors -
 developers and firms. (and I have some idea for the timescale for this quest, 
given the Mozilla experience). But I do get the feeling that this is necessary.

Best reagrds:
al_shopov

P.S.
Just to avoid the usual licence fight - no, I do not have any particular 
LICENCE in particular in mind, but yes, I do have in mind it being single and 
GPL compatible. Allowing binary only distribution is recommended given the 
current situation. On first thought, a variant of some standard form of the X 
licence (sadly there are several types) that is verbed in a way that allows 
the name of the copyright holder to be referanced externally so that the 
licence should not be changed for every contributor might be a possible 
variant.

1. http://www.xfree86.org/pipermail/forum/2004-February/003978.html
2. http://www.xfree86.org/pipermail/forum/2004-February/003987.html