[R] Regarding R licensing usage guidance
Richard O'Keefe
r@oknz @end|ng |rom gm@||@com
Thu Jul 25 06:31:55 CEST 2019
If calling a separate chunk of GPL code forced your code to be GPL,
nobody would be able to write proprietary code on Linux. For example,
Intel would not be able to sell their C/C++ compiler without offering
source code, which they don't.
When you are coupling two programs in this way, one question is "how
independent are they?" For example, if I write a program in AWK,
it will run under the One True AWK, under gawk, or under mawk. Nobody
can claim that it is a mere extension of one of them. Unless I use a
gawk-specific feature... Or if I write a shell script, as long as it
works just as well with ksh as with bash, nobody can claim it is a
derived work of bash.
Now R is to S-Plus as bash is to ksh. If your program could use *either*,
and if you just provide your own program, leaving it to the purchaser to
choose between S-Plus and (unmodified!) R, wouldn't the same apply?
You might like to check
https://discourse.julialang.org/t/what-is-the-business-model-of-julia-packages/3488/3
On Thu, 25 Jul 2019 at 04:37, Weiwen Ng, MPH <ngxxx262 using umn.edu> wrote:
> Here's one way to phrase your reply:
>
> "I'd recommend you search Google. For example, the search string
> "proprietary use GPL" produces one hit that's clearly relevant to you:
>
>
> https://opensource.stackexchange.com/questions/7078/is-it-legal-to-use-gpl-code-in-a-proprietary-closed-source-program-by-putting-i
>
>
> Moreover, many people in this community strongly discourage disseminating
> proprietary code based on R. R, after all, is free software, (fill in some
> other objections here). Here are three easy alternatives I can think of:
> (list the three)"
>
> This method is more neutrally worded. It doesn't insult the original
> poster. It doesn't assume the poster had bad intent.
>
> Instead, you chose to phrase it thus:
>
> "Your internet skills are pathetic. Search Google for "proprietary use gpl"
> and the first hit is ... Note that there are (at least) three obvious
> alternatives if there is any question in your case ... I think your
> desperation to steal the hard work of the various R contributors seems
> quite odious."
>
> Think about the overall tone of your post. Consider also that someone who
> agrees with you substantive argument said that your comments were "often
> (almost always?) a bit rough about the
> edges."
>
> On Tue, Jul 23, 2019 at 6:27 PM Jeff Newmiller <jdnewmil using dcn.davis.ca.us>
> wrote:
>
> > Your feelings are noted, but my comment about skills was not directed at
> > the person of Anamika but at their skills, so no, it was not ad hominem.
> >
> > Regarding the word "odious"... I think that wrapping GPL software in a
> > proprietary blob is ethically flawed, and that word is appropriate
> > regardless of the possible economic disadvantage someone might have who
> > commits that behavior. I have no problem with people generating
> proprietary
> > blobs of code they wrote combined with supporting code licensed in a way
> > that allows for such use... my employers have paid me to produce such
> works
> > in the past, but such blobs should rightfully reflect the work input by
> the
> > programmer and not the massive input by people not being properly
> > compensated for building such an extensive foundation. (Even if the only
> > thing those programmers asked for was that you release your code as well
> if
> > you use their code.)
> >
> > Proprietary code is expensive. For a reason. And in the long run it
> always
> > loses to the commoditization of software. And cheating to delay that
> > outcome is *odious*.
> >
> > I highly recommend using a language other than R if you don't plan to
> > distribute source code with your software. That will simplify the
> licensing
> > issue significantly and make distributing the blob much more
> > straightforward.
> >
> > On July 23, 2019 2:10:30 PM PDT, "Weiwen Ng, MPH" <ngxxx262 using umn.edu>
> > wrote:
> > >The ad hominem comment about Google skills is also out of line. Knowing
> > >what to search for is often not trivial. The problem is magnified if
> > >English isn't your native language.
> > >
> > >On Tue, Jul 23, 2019 at 3:59 PM John Maindonald
> > ><john.maindonald using anu.edu.au>
> > >wrote:
> > >
> > >> I think this unfair, certainly the ‘odious’ comment. Very many of us
> > >> have been able to contribute because supported to do such work
> > >> while occupying relatively comfortable academic positions. In the
> > >> process of getting there, we have benefited enormously from the
> > >> work of those who have gone before. I do not know what Anamika’s
> > >> position is, but he may well be trying to build a business from a
> > >> much less privileged starting point than others of us may have
> > >> enjoyed. In any case, the comment strikes a tone that is out of
> > >> place in respectful discourse.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> John Maindonald email: john.maindonald using anu.edu.au<mailto:
> > >> john.maindonald using anu.edu.au>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> On 23/07/2019, at 22:00, r-help-request using r-project.org<mailto:
> > >> r-help-request using r-project.org> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> From: Jeff Newmiller <jdnewmil using dcn.davis.ca.us<mailto:
> > >> jdnewmil using dcn.davis.ca.us>>
> > >> Subject: Re: [R] Regarding R licensing usage guidance
> > >> Date: 23 July 2019 at 07:00:26 NZST
> > >> To: <r-help using r-project.org<mailto:r-help using r-project.org>>, ANAMIKA
> > >KUMARI <
> > >> anamika1302 using gmail.com<mailto:anamika1302 using gmail.com>>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Your internet skills are pathetic. Search Google for "proprietary use
> > >gpl"
> > >> and the first hit is
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> >
> https://opensource.stackexchange.com/questions/7078/is-it-legal-to-use-gpl-code-in-a-proprietary-closed-source-program-by-putting-i
> > >>
> > >> Note that there are (at least) three obvious alternatives if there is
> > >any
> > >> question in your case: release the code under GPL but also sell it
> > >with
> > >> support (a la RStudio); only use it yourself (don't distribute it at
> > >all);
> > >> or only use R for setting up your models but re-engineer
> > >implementations of
> > >> the run-time prediction calculations yourself (often much easier than
> > >the
> > >> initial algorithm development).
> > >>
> > >> I think your desperation to steal the hard work of the various R
> > >> contributors seems quite odious.
> > >>
> > >> On July 22, 2019 6:55:31 AM PDT, ANAMIKA KUMARI
> > ><anamika1302 using gmail.com
> > >> <mailto:anamika1302 using gmail.com>> wrote:
> > >> Hello Team,
> > >>
> > >> This mail is in reference to understanding R license and also usage
> > >of
> > >> R
> > >> language to develop commercialised product.
> > >>
> > >> I am working on one product of mine that uses R and python language.I
> > >> am
> > >> trying to understand the licensing issue if any related to R, if I am
> > >> going
> > >> to commercialise my product and keep my work proprietary.
> > >>
> > >> I need your help to understand it. R comes under GNU-GPL-2.0. Now, do
> > >I
> > >> need to share source code of my product. if, I am moving planning to
> > >> move
> > >> it to production or I can keep my code Proprietary.
> > >>
> > >> Please note that I am just using R and its packages to develop my
> > >own
> > >> statistical tool and api and Have not done any changes to existing R
> > >> code.
> > >>
> > >> Please refer below for all R-packages used in my code:-
> > >>
> > >> 1.
> > >> *R-3.4.4 *
> > >> 2. *'spacyr'*
> > >> 3.
> > >> *'jsonlite' *
> > >> 4.
> > >> *'lubridate' *
> > >> 5.
> > >> *'data.table' *
> > >> 6.
> > >> *'png' *
> > >> 7.
> > >> *'maps' *
> > >> 8.
> > >> *'countrycode' *
> > >> 9.
> > >> *'humaniformat' *
> > >> 10.
> > >> *'ngram' *
> > >> 11.
> > >> *'stringr' *
> > >> 12.
> > >> *'slam' *
> > >> 13.
> > >> *'tm' *
> > >> 14.
> > >> *'lsa' *
> > >> 15.
> > >> *'RTextTools' *
> > >> 16.
> > >> *'stringi' *
> > >> 17.
> > >> *'plumber' *
> > >> 18. *"Rook"*
> > >> 19. *"pdftools"*
> > >> 20. *'tokenizers'*
> > >> 21. *'zoo'*
> > >> 22. *"tidyr"*
> > >> 23. *"reqres"*
> > >> 24. *"rJava"*
> > >> 25. *"tiff"*
> > >> 26. *"splitstackshape"*
> > >> 27. *"stringdist"*
> > >> 28. *"RJSONIO"*
> > >> 29. *"ropensci/tabulizer"*
> > >> 30. *"staplr"*
> > >> 31. *"SparseM"*
> > >> 32. *"randomForest"*
> > >> 33. *"e1071"*
> > >> 34. *"ipred"*
> > >> 35. *"caTools"*
> > >> 36. *RCMD INSTALL maxent_1.3.3.1.tar.gz*
> > >> 37. *RCMD INSTALL tree_1.0-39.tar.gz*
> > >> 38. *RCMD INSTALL RTextTools_1.4.2.tar.gz*
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> *Any help from you will be highly appreciated as I am literally stuck
> > >> at a
> > >> dead end.*
> > >>
> > >> *Regards*
> > >> *Anamika Kumari*
> > >>
> > >> [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
> > >>
> > >> ______________________________________________
> > >> R-help using r-project.org<mailto:R-help using r-project.org> mailing list -- To
> > >> UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
> > >> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> > >> PLEASE do read the posting guide
> > >> http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html<
> > >> http://www.r-project.org/posting-guide.html>
> > >> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >> Sent from my phone. Please excuse my brevity.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
> > >>
> > >> ______________________________________________
> > >> R-help using r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
> > >> 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.
> > >>
> > >
> > > [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
> > >
> > >______________________________________________
> > >R-help using r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
> > >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.
> >
> > --
> > Sent from my phone. Please excuse my brevity.
> >
>
> [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
>
> ______________________________________________
> R-help using r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
> 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.
>
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