[clean-list] License issue

alea miras alea101@postmaster.co.uk
Mon, 18 Feb 2002 00:51:16 +0000


Dear Clean Developers,

first let me thank you for the work you put into the Clean language. Please don't feel offended by this Email--it should just serve as a clarification.

The recently offered version 2.0 of Clean is dual licensed. As is explicitely stated on your web page, the deployment of programs written in Clean (and thus using its runtime) in a commercial setting requires a commercial license. Other deployments are covered by the GNU Lesser Public License (LGPL). Reading the LGPL reveals what looks to me as a contradiction to your intention of restricting the use to non-commercial settings. §0 of the LGPL says: 

"The act of running a program using the Library is not restricted, and output from such a program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the Library (independent of the use of the Library in a tool for writing it)."

I believe that a special exception clause is necessary for your intention to restrict the "act of running a program using the Library". I would appreciate a comment from you in reference to this issue. 

Yours,
Alea Miras