[asterisk-dev] Zaptel/Octasic License

[Apollon Koutlides]

alex at pilosoft.com wrote:
> On Fri, 4 Aug 2006, Jeffrey C. Ollie wrote:
> 
>> Some of the files in Zaptel have what appears to be a non-GPL license
>> attached to them.  One in particular is include/apilib/octapi_bt0.h
>> which has this at the top of the file:
>>
>>         Copyright (c) 2001 Octasic Inc. All rights reserved.
>>         
>>         Description:
>>         
>>        This source code is Octasic Confidential. Use of and access to this code
>>         is covered by the Octasic Device Enabling Software License Agreement.
>>         Acknowledgement of the Octasic Device Enabling Software License was
>>         required for access to this code. A copy was also provided with the release.
>>
>> If this license statement is accurate how can they be used in a program
>> that is otherwise GPL'd?  Here's a complete list of the files that
>> appear to have this license:
> Just because it isn't GPL'd, it doesn't mean it is incompatible with GPL.
> 
> Unfortunately, googol search for "Octasic Device Enabling Software 
> License" turns up blank. 

IANAL, but as far as I understand the GPL any source code that restricts
"access to the code" doesn't seem to me to be GPL-compatible in any way.
The way I read this, it says "if you don't know this license we're
talking about, you shouldn't be seeing the source in the first place".
GPL does not deal with access to the code or binaries, it only covers
distribution.

Apollon Koutlides