[License]: need expert

Craig Latta Craig.Latta at NetJam.ORG
Sun Feb 10 13:00:22 UTC 2002


	C'mon people... stop guessing and read the web! :)

	At http://opensource.org/docs/certification_mark.html (a link to which
is prominently included on the front page for opensource.org):

	"The Open Source Definition spells out the essential qualities of open
source software. Unfortunately, the term 'open source' itself is subject
to misuse, and because it's descriptive, it can't be protected as a
trademark (which would have been our first choice). Since the community
needs a reliable way of knowing whether a piece of software really is
open source, OSI is registering a certification mark, OSI Certified, for
this purpose. If you see this mark on a piece of software, either the
software really is being distributed under a license that conforms to
the Open Source Definition, or the distributor is misusing the mark and
thereby breaking the law.

         The OSI Certified mark applies to software, not to licenses.
What people really want to know is that a package consisting of software
together with its accompanying license is an open source distribution."

	It goes on, it's very interesting, as is the site generally.


	thanks,

-C

--
Craig Latta
composer and computer scientist
craig.latta at netjam.org
www.netjam.org
crl at watson.ibm.com
Smalltalkers do: [:it | All with: Class, (And love: it)]



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