Message-Id: <200305121504.h4CF4EJ5007017@turing-police.cc.vt.edu>
To: Frank Cusack <fcusack@fcusack.com>
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: MPPE in kernel? 
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Mon, 12 May 2003 04:59:29 PDT."
             <20030512045929.C29781@google.com> 
From: Valdis.Kletnieks@vt.edu
References: <20030512045929.C29781@google.com>
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On Mon, 12 May 2003 04:59:29 PDT, Frank Cusack <fcusack@fcusack.com>  said:
> I've written a public domain implementation, which I'd be willing to
> relicense under GPL (although I don't see the point), but in any case

Well.. there's a very good reason to relicense under GPL, or BSD, or X11-style.

And that's to cover your ass from being sued.

If you release it as "public domain", you waive *all* rights to it, including:

1) The right to prohibit or control what people do with it, including taking
it private and closed and making lots of money off it and basically ripping
you off.

2) You can't attach a "hold harmless" clause to it.  So if you put it in
the public domain, since you don't have copyright on it anymore, you can't
say "as a condition of copying, you promise not to sue me if this software
turns your hair green".

The second is pretty important - although we all complain about large vendors
disclaiming all responsibility and liability for their bugs, that's something
you *REALLY* want to try to do if you're a open-source programmer....

Of course, IANAL, so consult one if you're worried. ;)

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