RE: Licensing

I took time to read the licenses in question (excluding Apache v2, which is just too long for me, not being a lawyer...). I think I understand Ian's position better now.

It does seem to be a problem for an open-source project to include tests with W3C license, since it doesn't allow modifications.

Ian, it sounds like you have a positive precedent on licensing change from HTML working group. Can you point at the new licensing terms for HTML tests, and a thread or F2F notes that led to the change? Hopefully it would make this discussion productive (as I think it has by now digressed into a process discussion when it should have focused on merits of the issue).

I am not in a position currently to say if Microsoft would support a change of licensing towards a less restrictive one. I will be when there is a specific proposed change. Personally I think that would be a right thing to do.

As far as making inclusion of your tests in CSS test suite conditional on a change in licensing, it certainly helps to attract attention to the issue. I am not sure it helps to resolve it though - the issue exists whether or not your tests are part of the suite. But it is your work of course, I wouldn't think of pressuring you into sharing it in a particular way...

--Alex

Received on Friday, 11 January 2008 22:17:04 UTC