[ On Monday, September 13, 1999 at 16:23:40 (-0400), Charles M. Hannum wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: what happened to the lm75(?) driver?
>
> What I offered is more recognition than you will *ever* get for just
> your own code (especially since you've hardly contributed anything),
> and you reject it for what reason?  Because you want your own wording
> in the license rather than TNFi's?  That's *pathetic*.

I do not require my own wording on my copyright license.  I require that
my needs be met by the terms outlined by the copyright license I use.
In my opinion that's not very much to ask for when I'm otherwise giving
away my IP for "free" (i.e. without monetary compensation).  I've
"hardly contributed anything" because this issue still stands in my way.
I do not need to ride solely on the laurels of one "free" *BSD
organisation.  Technically NetBSD is where it's at as far as I'm
concerned, but I'm happy to simply use it rather than contribute
directly to it if the organisation that makes it happen cannot meet my
needs as a contributor.

> > I still need the same terms met that I feel my own copyright offers.
> 
> Really?  You need to change the verbiage in each clause but retain the
> same effect?  That's all you did, in practice.

Show me.  In extreme detail, please!  I've already detailed the
differences I intended to make many times over and so far as I can tell
from what little feedback I've had the wording I've given does define
those terms accurately and indeed those terms are unique to my wording
and are not provided for in that precise combination any other BSD-style
license yet to be presented.

> You know very well that nothing happens `unanimuously' around here.

How should I know?  I do see decisions being made, but I also see others
being ignored.  I presume that this issue can be settled one way or
another by a vote of the board of TNFi.  If that vote happens and the
summary result (i.e. a final yes or no) is presented, and if each and
every member honours their presumed obligation to stand up behind the
board's collective decision then I'll assume that the organisation
itself has unanimously decided upon the issue.

> That is, in effect, holding *us* `over a barrel', by stating that you
> won't quite flaming about this until we accept your license.

Huh?  You've three choices: 1) take my code under its current copyright
license, as-is [and expect that any future contributions I make will be
under similar terms]; 2) propose a new copyright licensing scheme for
independent contributors; and 3) tell us collectively that you do not
now, or ever(?), want independent developer contributions under terms
such as those I've made my code available under.

I won't feel slighted in the least no matter what "business" decision is
made about this issue.  I just want to be sure that it isn't left to rot
in the corner somewhere.  My lm7x driver is probably only tiny part of
the potential contributions that may hinge, one way or another, on this
decision.  Let's quit avoiding the issue and waffling over all the
meta-issues and get down to the meat of how contributing developers who
want to retain ownership are going to be dealt with by TNFi.

> If you want to retain your copyright, then it's up to you to deal with
> it, not us.  TNFi doesn't exist to provide free legal assistance.

OK, that's fine.  I'm perfectly happy with that.  Perhaps there is a
place for an organisation that would provide a legal defense system for
freeware developers, but if TNFi doesn't want to do that then I agree
that it certainly shouldn't have to.

> Sounds to me like you want a bunch of things given to you, without you
> making any concessions yourself.

No, absolutely not.  I'm already giving away my IP for much less than I
would otherwise be compensated for if I'd written it under contract for
someone else.  If you want to benefit from that IP without paying me in
cold hard cash then it is you who have to make the concessions, or else
you will have to find some way to do without my contribution.  I don't
really care one way or another what you decide -- it's only your gain or
loss as I've already done the work and I'm not going to change the
fundamental conditions under which I'm willing to make it available so
others can "use" it.

-- 
							Greg A. Woods

+1 416 218-0098      VE3TCP      <gwoods@acm.org>      <robohack!woods>
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