[Bug 585] Review Request: z-push - ActiveSync over-the-air implementation for mobile syncing

[RPM Fusion Bugzilla]

http://bugzilla.rpmfusion.org/show_bug.cgi?id=585


Tom "spot" Callaway <tcallawa at redhat.com> changed:

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--- Comment #7 from Tom "spot" Callaway <tcallawa at redhat.com>  2009-04-30 16:03:31 ---
Figured I'd chime in here to clarify things a bit:

The z-push license is an odd duck, because it invokes clause 8 of the GPLv2:

"8.  If the distribution and/or use of the Program is restricted in certain
countries either by patents or by copyrighted interfaces, the original
copyright holder who places the Program under this License may add an explicit
geographical distribution limitation excluding those countries, so that
distribution is permitted only in or among countries not thus excluded. In such
case, this License incorporates the limitation as if written in the body of
this License."

Thus, strictly speaking, the z-push license is not non-free, at least according
to the FSF, because they're invoking clause 8 explicitly for the US.
Unfortunately, Fedora can't distribute anything under those terms because we're
based in the US.

So, this is very similar to the MP3 situation, where the code is FOSS licensed,
but due to US patents, we cannot include it in the US (which is why the
upstream invoked clause 8). If those patents were to expire, or the patent laws
were to change somehow in the US, I think it is extremely likely that the
z-push upstream would drop their clause 8 invocation.

I'd suggest tagging this as:

License: GPLv2 with clause 8 invoked (distribution in the US is forbidden)


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