Question about Boost License and commercial software
Hi, I'm working in a company that want to use boost libraries to a commercial software. I have a pair of questions: 1. Is it possible to distribute under the boost license a commercial software (so the source code won't be exposed) programmed with static boost libraries? 2. And with linked libraries to an executable? Thanks in advance! MARC
On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 04:09, marc_elias@terra.es <marc_elias@terra.es> wrote:
I'm working in a company that want to use boost libraries to a commercial software.
My understanding of the license is that you are allowed to do whatever you like with compiled boost code, thanks to the following: "[you must do something] unless such copies or derivative works are solely in the form of machine-executable object code generated by a source language processor". As always, you should run such things by your company's lawyers, however. ~ Scott
The following is what I understand from it, but I am not a lawyer either. On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 5:09 AM, marc_elias@terra.es <marc_elias@terra.es> wrote:
Hi, I'm working in a company that want to use boost libraries to a commercial software. I have a pair of questions: 1. Is it possible to distribute under the boost license a commercial software (so the source code won't be exposed) programmed with static boost libraries?
The boost license is not an open source license, so no, you do not need to release your source code in any way shape or form. On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 5:09 AM, marc_elias@terra.es <marc_elias@terra.es> wrote:
2. And with linked libraries to an executable?
Ditto. The boost license pretty much just states that you can do whatever you want with it without misrepresenting it, you do not even need to say that you are using it anywhere, but if you make changes to it, you cannot claim it as boost anymore. On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 5:09 AM, marc_elias@terra.es <marc_elias@terra.es> wrote:
Thanks in advance! MARC _______________________________________________ Boost-users mailing list Boost-users@lists.boost.org http://lists.boost.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/boost-users
On Oct 18, 2010, at 1:00 PM, OvermindDL1 wrote:
The boost license is not an open source license
It is according to the OSI: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsl1.0.html Trevor
On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 13:00, OvermindDL1 <overminddl1@gmail.com> wrote:
The boost license is not an open source license, so no, you do not need to release your source code in any way shape or form.
The boost license is not a *reciprocal* open source license, in the manner of the GPL[1], OSL[2], or RPL[3], but is certainly an open source license, by the OSI's definition: <http://opensource.org/docs/osd>. It's an *academic* license, like the BSD License[4], MIT License[5], or zlib License[6]. (Taxonomy from Lawrence Rosen's book, <http://rosenlaw.com/Rosen_Ch04.pdf>.) ~ Scott [1] http://opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php [2] http://opensource.org/licenses/osl-3.0.php [3] http://opensource.org/licenses/rpl.php [4] http://opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php [5] http://opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php [6] http://opensource.org/licenses/zlib-license.php
On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 7:09 AM, marc_elias@terra.es <marc_elias@terra.es> wrote:
Hi, I'm working in a company that want to use boost libraries to a commercial software. I have a pair of questions: 1. Is it possible to distribute under the boost license a commercial software (so the source code won't be exposed) programmed with static boost libraries? 2. And with linked libraries to an executable? Thanks in advance! MARC
Boost is used in almost all Adobe programs (Photoshop, etc). If it is good enough for Adobe's lawyers, it is probably good enough for almost anyone's. Tony
I am not a lawyer but have worked with many lawyers on patent and copyright issues over the years. To some lawyers, how you use code like Boost (static, dynamic, and how it gets packaged with your product) is important. Some lawyers believe that the open source code must be packaged somewhat separately in order to preserve the rights of the non-open source code. Others do not seem to think packaging is as much of an issue. The static vs dynamic issue seems to be less debated in my experience. It would seem to me the best course of action is to see what the company intellectual property law lawyer's view is since he/she would have to defend whatever direction is selected in the event of litigation. The lawyer would need to view the Boost License. Larry ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gottlob Frege" <gottlobfrege@gmail.com> To: <boost-users@lists.boost.org> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 10:59 PM Subject: Re: [Boost-users] Question about Boost License and commercialsoftware On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 7:09 AM, marc_elias@terra.es <marc_elias@terra.es> wrote:
Hi, I'm working in a company that want to use boost libraries to a commercial software. I have a pair of questions: 1. Is it possible to distribute under the boost license a commercial software (so the source code won't be exposed) programmed with static boost libraries? 2. And with linked libraries to an executable? Thanks in advance! MARC
Boost is used in almost all Adobe programs (Photoshop, etc). If it is good enough for Adobe's lawyers, it is probably good enough for almost anyone's. Tony _______________________________________________ Boost-users mailing list Boost-users@lists.boost.org http://lists.boost.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/boost-users
participants (6)
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Gottlob Frege -
Larry -
marc_elias＠terra.es -
OvermindDL1 -
Scott McMurray -
Trevor Harmon