Re: help with crafting proper license header for a dual-licensing project On Tue, 29 May 2007 14:12:55 -0700 Don Armstrong wrote:

> On Tue, 29 May 2007, Francesco Poli wrote:
[...]
> > what's your definition of "proprietary software", then? Software
> > with source code kept secret?
> 
> Software whose use, modification, selling, or distribution is
                                            ^^^^
> controlled exclusively by a single party, generally by restricting
> access to the source code and/or restrictive licencing agreements.
                               ^^^^

Seems very close to catch *all* non-free software.

Even when access to the source code is granted, if restrictive licensing
agreements are in place, it's proprietary software.
As soon as *one* action among use, modification, selling and
distribution, is controlled exclusively by a single party, it's
proprietary software.

> 
> > Just a nit-pick, not really interchangeably, because of semi-free
> > software. I am deliberately neglecting semi-free software here.
> 
> Well, that's the root of our contention then. As proprietary software
> does not encompass the entire set of non-free software, you should not
> use the terms interchangeably.

I simply consider semi-free software not *so* better than other non-free
software.  Consequently I do not insist that much on the distinction
between semi-free software and the rest of non-free software: I just
call it all "proprietary software", more or less interchangeably with
"non-free software".

But please note that the distinction you seem to have made so far is a
different one: you have linked "proprietary software" with closeness and
unavailability of source.  The concept of semi-free software (as defined
by the FSF) is instead based on "for non-profit purposes only"
restrictions.


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