Asterisk licensing (was Re: [Asterisk-Dev] voicemail message number limits)

[Jeremy McNamara]

Jeremy McNamara wrote:
> The GPL does not allow you to link with non-gpl libraries.  Hence why 
> mark has to have the ability to offer exceptions to the GPL.
> 
> G.729 (Proprietary license)
> Open H.323 (MPL)
> OpenSSL (Their own open license)
> Dialogic support (Non-open license, non-open channel driver)


The disclaimer is so that Mark (Digium) can accept work from others 
without negating the ability to offer exceptions to the GPL.

Having the copyright clean does also allow Mark (Digium) the ability to 
license various Asterisk components outside of the GPL, if there is a 
reason or a specific need to do so, but everyone needs to realize that 
Mark did not have to GPL Asterisk in the first place.

Mark (Digium) will not benefit by turning Asterisk into a proprietary 
application. Having Asterisk open is a major reason of its success. (not 
to mention, its out-of-the-box thinking in its implementation, which is 
all Mark)

I have very gladly signed the disclaimer and encourage anyone that is 
utilizing Asterisk at all to do the same.


Now lets develop something.    chan_skpe anyone?



Jeremy McNamara



(Yes I am replying to myself)