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Comment by zoogeny

2 years ago

Your first points: "can’t make modifications, distribute modifications, distribute unmodified versions" appears to contradict the language from their license file:

> Any Association grants you (“Licensee”) a license to use, modify, and redistribute the Software, but only (a) for Non-Commercial Use, or (b) for Commercial Use in Allowed Networks.

> These terms do not allow Licensee to sublicense or transfer any of Licensee’s rights to anyone else.

IANAL, but I thought transferring rights was required to redistribute a work. If someone downloads this software from me, I can’t give them a right to use that software. Only the original authors can do that. And even if an earlier clause says that I can redistribute, this cause suggests that I can’t.

As it is, this is a software license that I wouldn’t touch.

But even if I am wrong on this point, the rest of my argument stands. With the restrictions on use, this is neither an open nor free (as in freedom) license.

(Side note: this is why new authors shouldn’t roll their own licenses. Ambiguity is not what you want to see in a license agreement.)

  • The right you are granted is more specific, so you can redistribute, but the next hop cannot. (I'm only reading what is quoted here in the thread, but I think the important parts are included.)