[racket-dev] Adding the new plot library [was: Re: Plot?]

Marijn wrote at 09/30/2011 03:39 AM:
> ``keeping the C code that was ripped out of gnuplot.''
>
> which would IIUC be a violation of gnuplot's license.
>    

Below is the "Copyright" file from the version of "gnuplot" included in 
Debian Stable.

I don't know what C code from "gnuplot" is being talked about, and I do 
not see any in the Racket 5.1.3 source tree.

But it does look like "gnuplot" C code is legally a pain in the butt to 
use, and that would be good reason for people to avoid using it in the 
future.

Note: The "gnu" in "gnuplot" is misleading.  It's decidedly not GNU 
software, and has legal compatibility issues with GNU.  There was a big 
fuss about this a long time ago, probably before some of the programmers 
on this email list were born.


/*[
  * Copyright 1986 - 1993, 1998, 2004   Thomas Williams, Colin Kelley
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, and distribute this software and its
  * documentation for any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted,
  * provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and
  * that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear
  * in supporting documentation.
  *
  * Permission to modify the software is granted, but not the right to
  * distribute the complete modified source code.  Modifications are to
  * be distributed as patches to the released version.  Permission to
  * distribute binaries produced by compiling modified sources is granted,
  * provided you
  *   1. distribute the corresponding source modifications from the
  *    released version in the form of a patch file along with the binaries,
  *   2. add special version identification to distinguish your version
  *    in addition to the base release version number,
  *   3. provide your name and address as the primary contact for the
  *    support of your modified version, and
  *   4. retain our contact information in regard to use of the base
  *    software.
  * Permission to distribute the released version of the source code along
  * with corresponding source modifications in the form of a patch file is
  * granted with same provisions 2 through 4 for binary distributions.
  *
  * This software is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty
  * to the extent permitted by applicable law.
]*/


-- 
http://www.neilvandyke.org/