[R] Making a new package: licence

[Duncan Murdoch]

On 08/07/2011 10:56 AM, Spencer Graves wrote:
> On 7/8/2011 4:26 AM, Federico Calboli wrote:
> >  On 8 Jul 2011, at 12:06, Duncan Murdoch wrote:
> >
> >>  On 11-07-08 6:20 AM, Federico Calboli wrote:
> >>>  HI All,
> >>>
> >>>  I have written and succesfully uploaded a new package. The licence it is under is 'GPL' --no version. My assumption is, since all the code is written in R the licence R used for R would affect the code (hence my "GPL" stands for "whatever version of the GPL R is under")
> >>>
> >>>  I am happy with the licencing I used, but I'd like to ask if there is any transitive propery of IP licencing or if I am mistaken.
> >>  I believe you are mistaken:  your package is your code, so the license someone else used is irrelevant.  I would interpret 'GPL' to mean 'whatever version of GPL the user finds to be convenient'.  So if GPL v1 (which I've never actually seen) or GPL v4 (which has not been released) contained some right that I liked, I would assume that you've granted me that right.
> >  Ok, thanks for that. I though that, since R in under GPL-v2, I can only release my code under GPL-v2 because the code is written in R and probably qualifies as a derivative work.
>
>         Did you include someone else's GPL-vx code (possibly modified by
> you) as part of your code in a way that someone could claim that your
> code does NOT have a useful functionality and independent existence
> without that?  I'm not an attorney, but I have read the GPL and
> discussed it with attorneys, and it's my understanding that the
> definition of "derivative work" encompasses essentially what I just
> described.  Another example:  According to the Wikipedia article on
> Linux, the (first) GPL was written for the GNU Linux project.  In that
> context, you can NOT charge someone for Linux nor for any modification
> of it you may make, because such modifications would make it a
> derivative work.

Just a nitpick:  Nothing in the GPL prevents you from charging someone 
for your changes.  It is often pointless, because when you deliver them, 
you are also obligated to deliver the source code and the right to 
redistribute everything.    However, if someone really wants a new 
feature in Linux or R, they could hire you to produce it, and it is 
perfectly legal for you to charge them for the changes.

Duncan Murdoch
>    However, if you can run your own code written in
> whatever language under Linux, because presumably your code has an
> existence independent of Linux and could theoretically run (with
> modifications) on some other operating system.
>
>
>          Hope this helps.
>         Spencer
>
> >
> >  On uploading the new version (a matter of days), I will specify the GPL version.
> >
> >  Bw
> >
> >  Federico
> >
> >
> >>  Duncan Murdoch
> >>
> >>>  bw
> >>>
> >>>  Federico
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>  --
> >>>  Federico C. F. Calboli
> >>>  Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
> >>>  Imperial College, St. Mary's Campus
> >>>  Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG
> >>>
> >>>  Tel +44 (0)20 75941602   Fax +44 (0)20 75943193
> >>>
> >>>  f.calboli [.a.t] imperial.ac.uk
> >>>  f.calboli [.a.t] gmail.com
> >>>
> >>>  ______________________________________________
> >>>  R-help at r-project.org mailing list
> >>>  https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> >>>  PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> >>>  and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
> >  --
> >  Federico C. F. Calboli
> >  Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
> >  Imperial College, St. Mary's Campus
> >  Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG
> >
> >  Tel +44 (0)20 75941602   Fax +44 (0)20 75943193
> >
> >  f.calboli [.a.t] imperial.ac.uk
> >  f.calboli [.a.t] gmail.com
> >
> >  ______________________________________________
> >  R-help at r-project.org mailing list
> >  https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> >  PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> >  and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
>